The Shadow
ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS, Va. (VR) – The 2026 midterm elections brought several close races and decisive votes across the Alleghany Highlands on Tuesday, Nov. 3, as residents selected local representatives and weighed in on proposed tax increases and constitutional amendments.
According to the Virginia Department of Elections, results had not been officially certified at press-time.
Covington
In the City of Covington, two City Council seats were on the ballot.
David B. Goff ran unopposed in District 1, while District 2 saw a much closer contest between Michael E. Green and Milton E. Helton. Helton held a narrow lead of just 0.68 percentage points over Green in the unofficial results.
Johnathan Arritt ran unopposed for a seat on the Alleghany Highlands School Board.
Covington voters also rejected a proposed 1% retail sales tax intended to fund new school construction and major renovations. The proposal would have allowed the city to collect the additional tax through June 30, 2046, with revenue dedicated to school capital projects and related financing costs.
Voters delivered a clear rejection of the measure.
All three proposed constitutional amendments were also defeated by Covington voters.
Alleghany County
Several local seats were decided in Alleghany County, including three positions on the Clifton Forge Town Council.
Incumbents Dale E. Burdette, Michael L. Foster and Deborah A. Laudermilk secured enough votes to retain their seats.
Randall “Randy” Tucker ran unopposed for the Alleghany Highlands School Board.
In Iron Gate, voters selected representatives for mayor and Town Council. Residents also approved a proposed charter amendment reducing the size of Town Council from seven members, including the mayor, to five members, consisting of four council members and the mayor. The names for Iron Gate Mayor and Council has not been released from the registrar’s office.
Alleghany County voters followed Covington’s lead in rejecting the proposed 1% sales tax for school construction and renovations. The measure was defeated by a wide margin.
All three proposed constitutional amendments were also rejected by county voters.
Congressional and Senate Races
In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Bert Mizusawa carried both Alleghany County and Covington in the unofficial local results.
Republican Ben Cline also received strong support across the Alleghany Highlands, defeating Democratic challenger Beth Macy locally in the race for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District.
Statewide, Democratic incumbent Mark Warner secured enough votes to win the U.S. Senate race over Mizusawa.
Cline also won reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Macy in a closer contest across the 6th District.
While voters in Covington and Alleghany County rejected all three proposed constitutional amendments, the measures received enough support statewide to pass.
The election results highlighted a divide between local and statewide voters, particularly on the proposed constitutional amendments.
All election results remain unofficial pending certification by the Virginia Department of Elections.
