This week in county government; November's ballot takes shape; Registrar's office moves to new home
Engage Louisa is a nonpartisan newsletter that keeps folks informed about Louisa County government. We believe our community is stronger and our government serves us better when we increase transparency, accessibility, and engagement.
This week in county government: public meetings, July 31 through August 5
For the latest information on county meetings including public meetings of boards, commissions, authorities, work groups, and internal county committees, click here. (Note: Louisa County occasionally schedules internal committee/work group meetings after publication time. Check the county’s website for the most updated information).
Tuesday, August 1
Louisa County School Board, Central Office Administration Building, 953 Davis Highway, Mineral, 7 pm. (agenda, livestream)
Wednesday, August 2
Commission on Aging, Betty Queen Center, 522 Industrial Drive, Louisa, 10 am.
Other meetings
Tuesday, August 1
VDOT, public hearing for Route 701 bridge rehabilitation, Louisa County Public Library, 881 Davis Highway, Mineral, 4:30 to 6:30 pm. (meeting information) VDOT will hold a public hearing to provide residents information about its plans to rehabilitate a bridge on Belle Meade Road (Route 701) near Bumpass.
Thursday, August 3
Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, Water Street Center, 407 E. Water Street, Charlottesville, 7pm. (meeting materials) A link to watch/participate virtually is available in the meeting materials.
Additional information about Louisa County’s upcoming public meetings is available here.
Interested in taking your talents to one of the county’s numerous boards and commissions? Find out more here including which boards have vacancies and how to apply.
Election 2023: November ballot takes shape
Virginia has elections every year and 2023 is no exception. While this November won’t feature marquee federal races—voters will have to wait until 2024 to cast ballots for president, Senate and House of Representatives—it will include a bevy of local and state contests.
Eleven county offices are up for grabs this fall including all five constitutional offices—clerk of court, commonwealth’s attorney, sheriff, treasurer and commissioner of the revenue—and three seats on the Louisa County Board of Supervisors and School Board (Cuckoo, Jackson and Louisa Districts).
Beyond those races, voters in the Town of Mineral will have a special election to fill one of six seats on Town Council and residents county-wide will choose Louisa’s two representatives on the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District’s board of directors.
At the state level, Louisa residents will choose our representatives in the House of Delegates and state Senate as all 140 state legislative seats are up for grabs in newly drawn districts.
While there are plenty of races this fall, only a few feature more than one candidate. Voters have multiple candidates to choose from in three of four state legislative contests, but, in local races, only the Louisa District Board of Supervisors and the Jackson District School Board races are contested.
Here’s a rundown of what’s on the ballot this November and who’s running for office based on the Virginia Department of Elections’ official list of qualified candidates. The information below is presented with two caveats. The filing deadline for the special election for Mineral Town Council is August 18, so there’s still time for candidates to file to run for that seat and people wishing to serve in elected office who aren’t on the ballot are free to run as write-in candidates.
The General Assembly
All 140 seats in Virginia’s General Assembly—40 in the state Senate and 100 in the House of Delegates—are up for grabs in 2023 in newly drawn districts reshaped by the once-a-decade redistricting process. Maps approved by the Virginia Supreme Court in late 2021 place most of Louisa County in the 10th Senate District. The rest of Louisa—the Patrick Henry 1, Green Springs 1 and 2, and Louisa 3 precincts—will be in the 11th District. The county is split along the same lines for House districts with most voters in the 59th District and the county’s western end drawn into the 55th.
Read more about how redistricting impacted Louisa County:
New General Assembly, congressional maps approved, January 2, 2022
Virginia state Senate, District 10
The new 10th state Senate District covers solidly Republican terrain including most of Louisa County and western Hanover at its northern edge. The district stretches south across eight other mostly rural localities: Fluvanna, Goochland, Buckingham, Amelia, Powhatan, Cumberland, Appomattox and part of Prince Edward.
The race was expected to pit three-term Delegate John McGuire, a Republican from Goochland County, against political newcomer Daniel Tomlinson, a Democrat who lives on Lake Anna. But Tomlinson missed a deadline to file key paperwork and, at a meeting in early July, the State Board of Elections didn’t act on his request for an extension. That leaves McGuire as the only name on November’s ballot though Tomlinson is running as a write-in candidate, according to a post on his campaign Facebook page.
John McGuire (R): McGuire, a fitness instructor and former Navy SEAL, is a familiar face to many Louisa voters, representing the county in the House of Delegates since 2018. He beat three other candidates in a hard-fought Republican convention in early May to claim his party’s nomination. (campaign finance reports)
Read more:
McGuire wins Republican nomination in SD10, May 7, 2023
Missed filing deadline leaves Democrat off ballot in SD10, July 9, 2023
Virginia state Senate, District 11
Voters in the western end of Louisa will have two candidates to choose from in the Democrat-friendly 11th state Senate District: Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Philip Hamilton. A third candidate, independent J’riah Guerrero, didn’t qualify for the ballot. Besides a slice of Louisa, the district includes the City of Charlottesville, and Albemarle, Nelson and Amherst counties.
Creigh Deeds (D): An attorney and 22-year veteran of the Senate, Deeds edged Del. Sally Hudson in a hotly contested Democratic primary to earn the right to represent his party this fall. He’s a heavy favorite to win the solid blue 11th and return to the Senate where he’ll wield significant power as one of chamber’s most senior members if Democrats retain their majority. (campaign finance reports)
Philip Hamilton (R): Hamilton is a paralegal who runs a legal services business. The Albemarle County resident ran for House of Delegates two years ago, losing to Democrat Sally Hudson in a solid blue district. (campaign finance reports)
Read more:
Deeds, Laufer prevail in SD11, HD55, June 25, 2023
Virginia House of Delegates, District 55
Two candidates will square off for the right to represent the Democrat-friendly 55th House District, which includes most of Albemarle County and a slice of western Louisa and northern Nelson.
Amy Laufer (D): Laufer is a former teacher who was twice elected to the Charlottesville School Board. The race marks her second run for state office. In 2019, she narrowly lost a bid for Senate to incumbent Republican Bryce Reeves in a red-leaning district that included most of Louisa County. (campaign finance reports)
Steve Harvey (R): Harvey jumped in the 55th District race in mid-June after another Republican dropped out. The former Army pilot lost a bid for the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors in 2019. (campaign finance reports)
Read more:
Deeds, Laufer prevail in SD11, HD55, June 25, 2023
Virginia House of Delegates, District 59
Two Hanover County residents—Republican Buddy Fowler and Democrat Rachel Levy—will battle for the right to represent the Republican-friendly 59th House District. The district includes most of Louisa, western Hanover and a chunk of northwestern Henrico.
Fowler and Levy will meet in a rematch of sorts. The pair faced off in the 55th House District two years ago with Fowler winning with more than 63 percent of the vote. That district included parts of Hanover, Caroline and Spotsylvania counties.
Buddy Fowler (R): Fowler, who won a three-man Republican primary last month, is vying for his sixth term in the legislature’s lower chamber. Prior to becoming a delegate, Fowler worked as a legislative aide in Richmond. (campaign finance reports)
Rachel Levy (D): Levy is a community activist and former teacher who holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy from Virginia Commonwealth University. She and her family live in Ashland. (campaign finance reports)
Read more:
Fowler wins Republican nomination in HD59, June 25, 2023
Local offices
Louisa County’s redistricting process reshaped local voting districts, meaning some residents will vote in new Board of Supervisor/School Board districts this fall. Here’s a look at this year’s local races.
Read more about how redistricting impacted local voting districts and precincts:
Supes approve new voting districts, April 10, 2022
Supervisors adopt new voting precincts, April 24, 2022
Louisa County Board of Supervisors, Cuckoo District
Only one candidate is vying to represent the Cuckoo District on the Louisa County Board of Supervisors: Republican Christopher McCotter. The district’s current representative, five-term incumbent Willie Gentry (I), announced in March that he wouldn’t seek re-election.
Christopher McCotter (R): McCotter is a Lake Anna resident who, along with his wife Chrissie, publishes Lake Anna Life and Times newspaper and owns Lake Anna Outfitters. While he’s a newcomer to electoral politics, McCotter’s no stranger to local activism and public service. He’s a founding member of the Lake Anna Civic Association and the Lake Anna Business Partnership and chairs the Lake Anna Advisory Committee, an inter-jurisdictional panel that advises local government in Louisa, Spotsylvania and Orange counties about issues related to the lake. (campaign finance reports)
Read more:
Gentry won't seek re-election to Cuckoo seat; McCotter launches bid for Cuckoo seat, February 19, 2023
Louisa County Board of Supervisors, Jackson District
R.T. "Toni" Williams (R): Williams, a two-term incumbent, will run unopposed for the Jackson District seat after easily beating challengers in his previous campaigns. A small business owner and farmer, Williams and his family have lived in Louisa since 1990.
Read more:
Louisa County Board of Supervisors, Louisa District
In one of only two contested local races, three men are running for the Louisa District seat on the Board of Supervisors. Eric Purcell (I), who currently represents the district, announced in March that he wouldn’t seek re-election.
Christopher Colsey (R): Colsey, a public school teacher and adjunct college professor, is a relative newcomer to Louisa County—he’s lived in Blue Ridge Shores for about three years—but has extensive experience in local government. He briefly worked as a legislative aide to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and served in both elected and appointed positions in municipal government in New York. (campaign finance reports)
Greg Jones (I): A Louisa County native, Jones is a small business owner and pastor who formerly served as president of the Louisa branch of the NAACP. He was a member of the Louisa County Planning Commission from 2017 to 2020 and, in 2007, lost a bid for Board of Supervisors by just 15 votes. (campaign finance reports)
Manning Woodward (I): Woodward was born and raised in Louisa County and has represented the Louisa District on the Planning Commission since 2020. Now retired, he spent much of his career running his family business, Woodward Insurance Company. He’s also been active in Louisa Little League, the Louisa County Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations. (campaign finance reports)
Read more:
Purcell won't seek re-election to Louisa District BOS seat, March 19, 2023
Colsey announces bid for Louisa District BOS seat, May 7, 2023
Republicans nominate Colsey, Williams for Louisa, Jackson BOS seats, May 14, 2023
Jones, Woodward join Colsey in Louisa District BOS race, June 4, 2023
Louisa County School Board, Cuckoo District
Stephen Harris (I): A retired attorney, Harris is seeking his fifth term on the School Board. First elected in 2007, he’s never faced opposition for his seat.
Louisa County School Board, Jackson District
Two men are vying for the right to represent the Jackson District on the School Board. The district’s current representative, Frances Goodman, opted not to seek re-election.
Bernie Hill (I): Hill spent much of his career working in technology for various state agencies. He and his wife, Wanda, a retired teacher, have lived in Louisa County for about 50 years. The race marks Hill’s second run for local office. In 2019, he lost to incumbent Republican Toni Williams in a bid for the Jackson District Board of Supervisors seat.
A.H. McClendon (I): A former marine, McClendon will make his first run for local office.
Read more:
Hill to seek Jackson District School Board seat, May 21, 2023
Louisa County School Board, Louisa District
Billy Seay (I): Seay, a Louisa native who runs Seay Furniture and Antiques, was first elected to the School Board in 2007. He only faced opposition in his initial campaign.
Louisa County Sheriff
Donald Lowe (R): A 30-plus year veteran of the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office, Lowe won the job of top cop four years ago after longtime Sheriff Ashland Fortune announced his retirement. Lowe easily defeated one challenger in the general election last time around and, this year, beat back an aggressive primary challenge from fellow Republican Tim Sansone. (campaign finance reports)
Read more:
Lowe wins Republican nomination for sheriff, May 14, 2023
Louisa County Commonwealth’s Attorney
Rusty McGuire (R): McGuire, the brother of state Delegate and 10th District Senate candidate John McGuire, will seek his fourth term as Commonwealth’s Attorney. He’s never faced opposition for the job. (campaign finance reports)
Louisa County Commissioner of the Revenue
Stacey Fletcher (I): A longtime employee of the commissioner’s office, Fletcher emerged victorious in a three-person race four years ago following Nancy Pleasants’ retirement. No one stepped up to challenger her this year.
Louisa County Treasurer
Henry Wash (I): Wash outpaced a six-person field to win the treasurer’s job in 2011 following the retirement of Gloria Layne. Since winning that race, Wash hasn’t faced opposition for the position.
Louisa County Clerk of Court
Patty Madison (I): Prompted by the retirement of longtime clerk Susan Hopkins, Madison ran unopposed for the position in a special election in 2017. A veteran employee of the clerk’s office, Madison will run unopposed again this year, this time for an eight-year term. Virginia’s clerks of court are the only elected county official to serve eight-year terms instead of the standard four-year stint. (campaign finance reports)
Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District board of directors
A pair of candidates are vying to fill Louisa County’s two seats on the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District’s board of directors. Both currently serve on the body.
Steve Lucas (I): Lucas, currently the board’s vice chair, was first elected in 2019. He and his wife, Margaret, operate Mountain View Farm, a cow/calf and timber operation in western Louisa County. Lucas received a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Virginia Tech and has worked in the natural resource conservation field for over 40 years.
Carolyn Daughters (I): Daughters, a retired accountant and life-long equestrian, was appointed to the board in December 2020 following the death of Pat Willis. She currently serves as secretary. Daughters holds a bachelor’s degree from William and Mary and a master’s degree from George Washington University.
Mineral Town Council
Voters in the Town of Mineral will have a special election to fill a seat on its six-member Town Council. Candidates have until August 18 to file to run and the winner will serve through 2025. So far, one candidate has qualified for the ballot, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Michelle Covert (I): Covert was appointed to an interim spot on council in June after the death of Anthony Wade. She previously ran in a special election for council in 2019, losing to former Council Member Ed Kube.
Registrar’s office moves to new home
The Louisa County Registrar’s office has a new home.
In mid-July, the office made a long-awaited move from its former home on the main floor of the County Office Building to a new abode just across the street. The office is now located at 103 McDonald Street in the Town of Louisa in a building that previously housed the county’s Human Services Department.
The new location offers more space for Registrar Cris Watkins and her staff to carry out the daily duties of election administration, tasks that have increased significantly in recent years thanks to population growth in the county and changes in state law that expand access to the ballot box. The office serves as a polling place during the 45-day early voting period, enacted by the General Assembly in 2020, which proved difficult in its cramped former home.
“We have outgrown the space at the County Office Building. The number of registered voters has doubled from 15,000 to 30,000 in the last 20 years. With the introduction of early voting, we did not have the space to accommodate it,” Watkins said in an email to Engage Louisa last week.
Beyond providing ample space to welcome voters, the office makes running local elections easier in other ways. It will serve as a one-stop shop for election preparation with a conference room to host trainings for the dozens of residents who work at polling locations on Election Day and a secure area to store voting equipment.
“As it was, our equipment was stored two blocks away making election preparation difficult,” Watkins said.
Louisa County plans to publicize the office’s move in several ways ahead of this fall’s elections. Watkins said that the county will use social media to spread the word, reach out to local media outlets for coverage and place large sandwich boards on the sidewalk adjacent to the building “to point folks in the right direction” for early voting. The office will also have banners outside that say “Vote here.” Early voting for the November 7 general election kicks off September 22.
Aside from in-person early voting, the office features a drop box for voters to deposit absentee ballots. The drop box will be available 24 hours a day and under video surveillance during early voting.
The Registrar’s office’s move is part of a larger reshuffling of local government services. Earlier this year, the Human Services Department left McDonald Street for a new home in the former Virginia Community Bank headquarters in the Louisa County Industrial Air Park. The county acquired the building and a vacant adjoining lot last year for about $2 million.
In mid-July, the Board of Supervisors approved a lease agreement that clears the way for the Virginia Department of Health’s local clinic to move from mobile units near the Betty Queen Center to renovated quarters in the Louisa Medical Center at 101 Woolfolk Avenue adjacent to the County Office Building. The Louisa Health Center Commission transferred the building to county ownership in 2019. The health department is expected to move by December.
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.
Find agendas and minutes from previous Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings as well as archived recordings here.
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County School Board.
Click here for minutes and agendas for School Board meetings.
Click here to access past editions of Engage Louisa.