Few surprises expected
in quiet election season

By Julie von Sternberg

A campaign season that didn't generate much voter interest despite what candidates identified as high-stakes issues ended today in an election that was not expected to bring any surprises.

The only race for the General Assembly -- a practically silent campaign locally by Republican Sen. Emmett Hanger for re-election in District 24 -- brought long-shot challenges from a Democrat of Lexington and a Libertarian of Albemarle County.

In local races, four of the five Rockbridge Board of Supervisor seats were being contested and Sheriff R. W. "Bob" Day was challenged by former deputy Robert E. Clark. Results of that one countywide race, which included Lexington voters, are not yet known.

Hanger, 59, who has served for the past 12 years, was challenged by Democrat David Cox, 60, and Libertarian Arin Sime, 32.
State Sen. Creigh Deeds (D., District 25) was unopposed.

In the state Senate race, Cox, a retired Episcopalian minister originally from Washington D.C., said the likelihood of an upset depended on voter turnout. Lower voter turnout could help Cox, who said that Hanger was relying on name recognition and the fact that he has been elected three times.

"A lot of people won't go to the polls, either thinking that the incumbent, Hanger, is going to cruise to an election or that I don't have a chance, both of which are untrue," said Cox, who currently sits on the Rockbridge Area Community Services Board and has served on a variety of quasi-government committees. He was rector of R.E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church in Lexington from 1987 to 1990.

Cox says that while campaigning he found that many people did not know about today's elections. He expected only 30 percent of the registered voters in the county to show up.

According to the Rockbridge County registrar's office, only 12,821, or 76 percent, of the 16,920 eligible voters are registered.

Despite the apparent indifference of voters, races for the General Assembly statewide today could have far-reaching effects. Democrats need to win four new seats, in addition to holding their current 17 seats, to re-gain a majority in the state Senate. A Democratic-controlled state Senate could re-draw Congressional district lines in 2011 to favor more Democrats in Congress from Virginia.

District 24 splits Rockbridge County geographically. Residents of Walkers Creek Magisterial District and half of Kerrs Creek District voted in the 24th District Senate race. Residents of the Buffalo, South River and Natural Bridge districts and the other half of the Kerrs Creek District, made up mostly of Collierstown residents, are in the 25th District.

Libertarian challenger Sime, an owner of two small software development companies in Crozet, said that state races at the top of the ballot, without federal elections, usually have lower voter turnout. Last year, 57 percent of citizens in Rockbridge County voted in the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican George Allen and Democratic challenger Jim Webb.

"I just hope that voters that believe in small government will show up and cast a vote," said Sime, who has worked as a grassroots activist on issues related to property tax reform and loosening state regulations over family farms.

Hanger ignored repeated interview requests from The Rockbridge Report.
Sime said that turnout locally depended on the competitiveness of the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors races.

In Walkers Creek District, incumbent K.L "Monty" Fix ran against A. W. "Buster" Lewis and W. Frank "Pat" Patterson. In the Kerrs Creek District, incumbent Harvey Hotinger faced Russell "Rusty" Ford. Incumbent Maynard Reynolds ran against Hunt Riegel in the Natural Bridge District. In the Buffalo District, incumbent Mack Smith was challenged by W. B. "Doc" Wilmore. Carroll Comstock ran unopposed in the South River District.

This election is the last time that all five districts seats will be up for grabs at the same time. In 2004, newcomers filled four of the five supervisor seats. In November 2005, to prevent such a turnover in the future, county voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to create staggered terms.
Residents argued that that would ensure that the board would never again be left with so few holdovers to supply institutional memory. Originally, the new board opposed the idea, but residents started a grassroots petition campaign that put the issue to a referendum, despite the lack of support from the board.

Under the new system, supervisors in the Kerrs Creek and Walkers Creek Districts will serve for two years this time, while the supervisors in the remaining districts will serve for four years. Subsequently, all terms will be four years.

Roger Dean, former chairman of the Rockbridge Republican Committee and a delegate to the national GOP convention in 1996, said that many residents were upset with the way the board has handled issues such as rural development and the creation of a new court house.

"I think this would be the perfect time to throw someone out," said Dean.

The Board of Supervisors failed to approve a recommended re-zoning plan in September. As a result, the issue was sent back to the Planning Commission and will be re-addressed this month. Supervisor candidates all agreed that the county should find a balance between preserving farmland and allowing new residential development.

In addition to deciding how and what kind of new businesses to attract to Rockbridge County, the newly elected board will also vote on rezoning in the county. A key controversy is how much leeway to give owners of large farms in selling their land for piecemeal home lots or to developers for residential subdivisions.

The smaller the allowed acres-per-lot, or zoning minimum, the more money a landowner might make. But smaller minimums also mean more haphazard sprawl and more demand on county infrastructure, such as water, waste disposal and public schools.

The county is considering two options to limit the problems associated with residential development: a "sliding scale" and a "time release" method. The sliding-scale method assigns a certain number of development sites depending on the size of the area being developed. Smaller areas would be allowed to develop in greater density than larger development sections, on a sliding scale down to a minimum of two acres per lot.

The other method, time release, allows the land owner to sell one tract a year. However, that tract cannot be subdivided for five more years.

Candidates campaigned door to door, telephoned and produced radio advertisements to bolster enthusiasm and support for the races.
In the state Senate race, Libertarian Sime, who started campaigning a year and half ago, handed out copies of an editorial endorsement published in Waynesboro's News Virginian newspaper Oct. 31.

"Sime gets our vote," said the endorsement. "Fresh thinking such as his is a rarity in an era of knee-jerk, party-line politics."

That same day, a supporter drove a truck around Waynesboro with a sign attached to the back featuring Sime's campaign slogan, "It's time for Sime." Those slogans could also be seen on signs placed on street corners and in front yards all over Augusta County.

Cox, whose slogan was "Because he actually will DO something," said he printed 100 signs that were put out by volunteers.

Candidates also attended several forums.

According to VPAP.org, Hanger raised the largest amount of money, $326,466, but Sime and Cox said Hanger was not spending any of it.

In fact, Hanger did spend $266,952 through Tuesday, mostly on political consultants and TV ads. The majority of Hanger's contributions came from corporations and Political Action Committees. Sime raised $44,508, which was around his target amount of $50,000.

It was more, at least, than the Democrat Cox raised.

"It is great as a third-party candidate to be able to out-raise one of the major party candidates," said Sime. "It is always a positive sign for the success of our campaign."

Cox, who planned on having a low-budget campaign, raised $35,977. While he raised less money, Cox said he always had enough.

"It has arrived on time and in the amount needed," said Cox. "There are some people that count me out because I didn't raise big bucks, but that is not what matters in the end."

Volunteers helped the candidates campaign by doing media work, producing mailings, and calling residents. Many of those volunteers were friends and family as well as supporters who became friends during the campaign.

Mike Oxford, chair of the Lexington Democratic Committee, said in an interview last month that it's friends like those who decide a race.

"The more local the race, the more it is a popularity contest," said Oxford. "It's less about issues and party labels and more about what school your children attend and who you know from church."