Clinton, Weddle challenging for Amsterdam supervisor and School Board seats

Technically, there are two elections in Botetourt next week— both primaries.

Botetourt Director of Elections and General Registrar Traci Clark emphasized that the Republican Party Primary and Democratic Party Primary on Tuesday, June 13 are really separate elections, but voters can participate in just one of them, and will have to declare which one they are voting in when they go to the polls.

Those primary voters will help the two Virginia parties pick their nominees for governor and lieutenant governor for the November General Election.

Both parties have only one candidate each vying for their party’s nomination for attorney general, so that office is not included in either primary.

Generally, the Republican Primary draws more Botetourt voters, and they have a choice between three candidates.

Edward W. “Ed” Gillespie of Richmond, Corey A. Stewart of Woodbridge and Frank W. Wagner of Virginia Beach are the three candidates vying for the party’s nomination to run for governor.

Three Republicans also are vying for the lieutenant governor’s nomination— Bryce E. Reeves of Fredericksburg, Glenn R. Davis Jr. of Virginia Beach and Jill H. Vogel of Warrenton.

Ralph S. Northam of Arlington and the current lieutenant governor is running for the Democratic Party nomination for governor, along with Tom S. Perriello of Alexandria.

There are three candidates running for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, Justin E. Fairfax of Fairfax, Gene J. Rossi of Alexandria and Susan S. Platt of Great Falls.

John Adams of Chesterfield County is the Republican nominee to run for attorney general. He’ll be challenging current Attorney General Mark Herring, the Democratic Party nominee.

Neither House of Delegates Republicans and incumbents Terry Austin (19th District) nor Chris Head (17th District) are opposed for their party nominations.

It’s likely Austin will be unopposed in the fall election even though the 19th District Democratic Party announced earlier it had a candidate to run in November. That Bedford County resident has since dropped out. The 19th District stretches from Alleghany County across the majority of Botetourt and into Bedford County.

Head, who lives in Botetourt, is expected to have a challenger in November. Djuna Osborne of Roanoke announced she is seeking the Democratic Party nomination to run for the 17th District seat. She lives in Roanoke and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

The 17th House seat that includes part of the Cloverdale/Troutville area in Botetourt, parts of Roanoke County and parts of Roanoke City.

Other Candidates

June 13 at 7 p.m. is also the last day candidates can qualify to be on the November ballot for two of the county’s Board of Supervisors seats, two School Board seats and three Town of Troutville council seats.

Amsterdam District voters may be the only ones who have local races to decide.

The incumbents on both the Board of Supervisors and School Board had qualified to be on the ballot, and as of this week both have challengers.

Todd Dodson, the Republican nominee to run for a second term on the Board of Supervisors, did not have any challengers for the party nomination, however, Steve Clinton had enough qualified signatures on his petitions this week to be on the ballot as an Independent running for the Amsterdam District seat. Clinton is a former board member but did not run for re-election four years ago.

Anna L. Weddle of Troutville qualified last week to run for the Amsterdam District School Board seat that has been held for four terms by incumbent and current board Chair Ruth Wallace. Wallace qualified to be on the ballot in the spring.

School Board candidates must run as Independents. I. Ray Sloan will be the Republican nominee for the Buchanan District seat on the Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Republican John Williamson III is not running for a second term. So far, he is unopposed.

Michelle Austin Crook of Buchanan has also qualified to be on the ballot for the Buchanan School Board seat that she was appointed to late last fall. She also is unopposed.

Town of Troutville voters will fill the three Town Council seats up for election in the fall. Candidates have until June 13 to file to be on the November ballot.

As of Monday, only one person, incumbent Doris Camper, had qualified to be on the ballot for one of those seats.

Primary Voting

All voting precincts will be open as usual from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday.

Also, Virginia law requires voters to show an acceptable photo ID to vote in person.

— Ed McCoy