New state and local leaders elected

Published 12:05 pm Wednesday, November 10, 2021

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The November 2021 election brought new leaders to the state of Virginia at the governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general positions, and the election also featured voter support for a variety of uncontested candidates in the area.

Republican candidate Glenn A. Youngkin won the governor’s race, receiving 50.6% of the vote statewide with 2,851 of 2,855 precincts reporting as of Tuesday morning, Nov. 9. He defeated Democratic candidate Terry R. McAuliffe, who received 48.6% of the vote, and Liberation Party candidate Princess L. Blanding, who received 0.7%. Write-ins accounted for 0.08%.

With 16 of 16 precincts reporting in Southampton County, Youngkin carried the locality with 64.9%, while McAuliffe had 34.7%, Blanding had 0.37% and write-ins accounted for 0.05%.

However, in Franklin, with nine of nine precincts reporting, McAuliffe received 56.7% of the vote, Youngkin received 42.8%, Blanding received 0.47% and write-ins accounted for 0.03%.

Republican candidate Winsome E. Sears was elected as lieutenant governor with 50.72% of the vote statewide when 2,851 of 2,855 precincts were reporting as of Nov. 9. Democratic candidate Hala S. Ayala received 49.2%, while write-ins accounted for 0.12% of the vote.

In Southampton County, Sears won 65.2% of the vote, Ayala received 34.8% and write-ins accounted for 0.09%

In Franklin, 56.5% went to Ayala, and 43.5% went to Sears.

In the attorney general race, Republican candidate Jason S. Miyares won with 50.4% of the statewide vote as of Nov. 9, with 2,851 of 2,855 precincts reporting. Democratic candidate Mark R. Herring received 49.5%, and 0.09% went to write-ins.

Miyares received 64.2% of the vote in Southampton County to Herring’s 35.7%. A total of 0.08% went to write-ins.

Herring carried Franklin with 57.8%, while Miyares received 42.2% and write-ins accounted for 0.03%.

There were also eight people in the area running uncontested at the local level, aside from write-ins.

With nine of nine precincts reporting in the Franklin commissioner of revenue race, Selenia R. Boone received 2,467 votes, which translated to 98.2% of the vote. There were 46 write-ins, composing 1.8% of the vote.

In the Franklin treasurer race, Dinah M. Babb received 98.5% of the vote, translating to 2,547 votes. There were 39 write-ins, composing 1.5% of the vote.

With five of five precincts reporting in Southampton County, Robert T. White received 1,246 votes, good for 97.4% of the vote, to become reelected to the Franklin District seat on the county’s Board of Supervisors. There were 33 write-ins, accounting for the other 2.6% of the vote.

Alan Woodrow Edwards was reelected to the Jerusalem District seat on the Board of Supervisors after receiving 95.9% of the vote — 1,020 votes. There were 44 write-ins, which accounted for 4.1% of the vote.

With four of four precincts reporting in the Town of Boykins, Robert Chet Poland was elected to the Town Council with 184 votes, good for 91.5% of the vote. Accounting for the other 8.5% were 17 write-in votes.

With four of four precincts reporting in the Town of Branchville, Betty M. Smith was elected to the Town Council with 23 votes, Kelly Joe Ray was elected with 20 votes, Christopher M. Fatherly was elected with 13 votes and there were 19 write-in votes. The write-in votes did not possess a majority candidate that could overtake Fatherly.