The Shadow
Two incumbents on the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors were re-elected Tuesday and voters in Bath County approved a food and beverage tax.
Barbara Waldeck was re-elected to the Valley Springs District seat on the Bath County School Board in a special election.
Meanwhile, the winners of two other Alleghany County Board of Supervisors’ seats remained undetermined this morning. Write-in votes will determine who fills Covington District and Clifton Forge seats.
Results were not available from the Alleghany County registrar office this morning. The electoral board was scheduled to meet at noon.
The only write-in candidate in the Clifton Forge East District is Suzanne Adcock. Two write-in candidates, Paige Morgan and the Rev. Paul Harris, vied for the Covington District seat. Morgan is the incumbent.
In the Jackson River District, Supervisor Chairman Steve Bennett was re-elected by a wide margin over challenger Bob Bennett of Rich Patch, while in the Clifton Forge West District, Supervisor Vice Chairwoman Carolyn Barnette won a tight race of Don Carter.
Steve Bennett, who was elected four years ago by 1 vote, steamrolled Bob Bennett in Tuesday’s election by a 320-vote margin. According to unofficial returns this morning, Steve Bennett received 583 votes. Bob Bennett, a former Frankfort, Ky., mayor, received 263 votes.
Steve Bennett said this morning that he was surprised to win by such a wide margin.
“I think it proves that we are doing some positive things and people want is to keep going,” he said.
Steve Bennett said he sought to run a positive campaign to appeal to voters.
“I did a lot of door-to-door campaigning and we put some good material out there to keep things positive. Bob did make me work a lot harder to get re-elected,” he said.
“The pressure is on me now,” Steve Bennett added. “If that many people think I ought to have the job, then the pressure is on me to do the job right.”
Barnette, who became the first African American woman to serve on the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors when she was appointed in 2003, defeated Carter, the current Clifton Forge mayor, by nine votes, 241-232.
Barnette said she was surprised that the race was so close.
“I guess the people that voted for me felt that I was doing the best job that I could possibly do,” she said this morning.
Bath County
In an about face from a year ago, Bath County voters approved enactment of a food and beverage tax.
The 4 percent tax, approved 922-830, will apply to all restaurants and prepared foods sold in grocery stores and convenience stores. Last year, Bath voters defeated the measure 1,413-1,011.
County officials said the tax would generate approximately $275,000 in annual revenues and could offset other forms of taxation.
In the special school board election, Waldeck was returned to her Valley Springs’ seat by a 210-169 margin.
The election was scheduled after Waldeck resigned from her seat in March. However, she was later reappointed to her seat by the school board after changing her mind. Fry, who is employed by the Covington Police Department, also sought appointment to the seat after Waldeck resigned. After filing to receive the appointment, Fry decided to oppose Waldeck in Tuesday’s special election.
Waldeck, a retired educator, will now serve the remaining two years on her original term. Her seat will be up for a four-year term in the 2011 election.
Covington
Two Covington constitutional officers were re-elected Tuesday without opposition.
Longtime treasurer Eunice Wright received 1,315 votes. Wright has been city treasurer since 1986.
Commissioner of the Revenue Cathy Kimberlin was re-elected to a second term in office with 1,274 votes.
State Offices
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds carried his home turf in the Highlands Tuesday, even though he lost the election to Republican Bob McDonnell by a landslide.
Deeds, a state senator from Millboro, carried his home county of Bath, 1,159 to 666. He also carried Alleghany County, 3,188 to 2,017, and Covington, 979-506.
Democratic Del. Jim Shuler of Blacksburg was elected to another term. Shuler, a retired veterinarian, defeated Virginia Tech student Paul M. Cornett, 11,453 to 5,922.
Shuler’s 12th District includes Alleghany and Bath counties. Shuler easily carried both counties Tuesday
