Guy Tower

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Guy Tower

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Virginia Beach City Council District Beach

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Report an officeholder change

Personal

Birthplace

Richmond, Va.

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Guy Tower was a member of the Virginia Beach City Council, representing Beach District. He assumed office on April 23, 2019. He left office on December 31, 2022.

Tower (independent) ran in a special election to the Virginia Beach City Council to represent Beach District. He won in the special general election on November 5, 2019.

Tower completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Tower was appointed on an interm basis to replace David Nygaard.

Biography

Tower was an attorney, mediator, educator and association executive. When he was appointed to the council, he was retired.

Elections

2019

See also: City elections in Virginia Beach, Virginia (2019)

General election

Special general election for Virginia Beach City Council District Beach

Incumbent Guy Tower defeated Rosemary Wilson and Richard Kowalewitch in the special general election for Virginia Beach City Council District Beach on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Guy Tower (Independent)	42.3	49,520
		Rosemary Wilson (Independent)	39.7	46,513
		Richard Kowalewitch (Independent)	17.7	20,662
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	367

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 117,062
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Guy Tower completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Tower's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a retired attorney, law school adjunct faculty member and mediator, having provided decades of services to clients in business, helping them solve complex problems involving finance, personnel and policy. I came into government late in life, deciding that I had valuable consensus building and leadership skills to offer to my City Council. I sought an appointment to a vacancy for the Beach District seat and was appointed to it unanimously in April, and at the request of a number of citizens, I am now running to become the permanent representative to complete the four-year term. Earlier I was executive director of the Virginia State Bar and of the Law Practice Management Division of the Virginia Beach Bar Association. I have a long history of work in the non-profit arena as well, as past chair of the Virginia Beach Library Foundation and service on the boards of the Virginia Opera, WHRO public media and the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. I was also past chair of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Heart Association. I am a father, grandfather and husband and am pleased to have the opportunity to devote time and talent to help my fellow citizens and their City Council address important issues.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Virginia Beach is at a crossroads with critical issues facing the City Council, starting with hiring a new city manager. Because of my consensus building background, I feel I can be a valuable player in that process.
• Virginia Beach, as well as the rest of the region, faces an ongoing problem with sea level rise and recurrent flooding. Indeed we are among the most impacted communities in the nation because of our geography. We have devoted a significant sum of time and money so far, but we cannot relent. I look forward to working with Council, public works staff, residents and even our neighboring cities, state and federal government to keep this issue top of mind.
• Virginia Beach is not an island onto itself. We depend on visitors, millions of them, to fuel our important tourism industry, which is why I support a well-planned development of the Dome Site. We have an excellent concept in front of us, and I am hopeful Council will move forward after the election. We also have a great friend in Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams, who is showing us how to become more open to new voices, new ideas and new approaches to involve more citizens in business, entertainment, education and other fields.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Attorneys are used to listening, questioning, researching and strategizing best approaches to solve problems. I believe I can be of great service in the approach to setting public policy, whether it is in development, communication, lawmaking or simply helping the parties reach consensus. Everyone's opinion must be valued. Even though I am among the older members of City Council, I respect the energy of our younger colleagues and look forward to modeling and sharing my way of service to help them become the leaders of tomorrow. We need them.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Being one of eleven persons on Virginia Beach City Council means everyone must collaborate on key decisions. Each person is unique; indeed there are representatives on this Council of diverse ages, races, education levels, genders and professions. This diversity is a strength for the people in Virginia Beach we serve.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a good listener and questioner. That is so important when you choose to serve on a legislative body like a City Council. It's the public we are representing and their money that we are spending. We must be careful with it. I believe my fellow members will look to me to help build coalitions based on shared values. I believe I can be helpful in that regard.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Even though my primary responsibility is to represent the people of the Beach District, the type of at large voting we have requires us to see the entire city's needs as a whole. I count on my fellow council members to keep me informed but I travel around the community as well, seeing needs, hearing from constituents and following the news. You also have to read a lot because staff provides us with a lot of material to absorb in advance of each meeting so you need to be able to set the time aside to digest it. You also have to make time for individuals involved in decisions to meet with you and to visit places for instance where development is proposed. It takes a lot of time, but it's rewarding.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

One of my first jobs was editor of my college newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, at the University of Virginia. I had it for one year, but it was a very rewarding opportunity to hear from students, provide news that could impact their lives and be part of the college community. I have loved writing ever since and it probably had a lot to do with my choice of professions. I went to UVa both for undergraduate and law school and remain an enthusiastic Wahoo for Life!

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Handmaid's Tale. It's a beautifully written dystopian thriller that made me see for the first time what could happen to a society without strong democratic values and equality of women. It's actually better than 1984 or Brave New World, both of which I also liked.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not necessarily, but it helps to be a quick learner. I have done that in the six months since I was appointed. It helps to have legal training and be able to grasp complicated issues quickly plus be organized.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Organizational, communication, courage, thick-skin, kindness, technology, consensus building, listening.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Virginia Beach City Council District Beach

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