Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
City elections in Virginia Beach, Virginia (2019)
 |
State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • School boards • Municipal • How to run for office |
 |
2020 →
← 2018
|
| 2019 Virginia Beach elections |
|---|
 |
| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: March 28, 2019 (clerk of court, city treasurer);
June 11, 2019 (Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District, independent candidates); August 16, 2019 (city council) |
| Primary election: June 11, 2019 General election: November 5, 2019 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: City treasurer, clerk of court, and soil and water conservation directors |
| Total seats up: 6 |
| Election type: Nonpartisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2019 |
The city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, held regular elections for clerk of court and two positions on the Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District on November 5, 2019, as well as a special election for treasurer after the 2018 retirement of John Atkinson.[1] Atkinson's son filed in the election and faced interim incumbent Leigh Henderson.
Two additional special elections were held on November 5, 2019, for the Beach District and Rose Hall District seats on the Virginia Beach City Council. In the Beach District, councilman David Nygaard was removed from office on March 19, 2019, after local judges ruled he did not meet the residency requirements to fill the seat. He was first elected to the position on November 6, 2018.[2] On April 23, 2019, the council appointed interim member Guy Tower to serve until the November election.[3]
Councilwoman Shannon Kane resigned from her position as representative of the Rose Hall District on April 6, 2019.[4] According to WAVY, Kane purchased a home outside of the district and was moving immediately. She also filed to seek election to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent District 21, and ran in the general election on November 5, 2019. The council had until May 7 to choose Kane's successor.[4]
The filing deadline for clerk of court and city treasurer was March 28, 2019, and a primary election for these positions was on June 11, 2019. The filing deadline for the special city council elections was August 16, 2019.[5] The candidate filing deadline for the Virginia Dare District members, and independent candidates for all races was June 11, 2019.[6]
Elections
Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.
City Council
Beach District
General election candidates
- Guy Tower (Incumbent) (Independent) ✔
- Richard Kowalewitch (Independent)
- Rosemary Wilson (Independent)
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Rose Hall District
General election candidates
- Michael Berlucchi (Incumbent) (Independent) ✔
- Charles Conrad Schesventer (Independent)
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
City treasurer
General election candidates
- Leigh Henderson (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
- Laura Habr (Democratic Party)
- Ralph Parham II (Independent)
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Republican primary candidates
- Leigh Henderson (Incumbent) ✔
- Clay Atkinson
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Clerk of court
General election candidates
- Tina Sinnen (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔
Primary candidates
The primary was canceled. No candidates filed for this race.
Because incumbent Tina Sinnen was the only candidate to file in the race, the primary election was canceled and Sinnen automatically advanced to the general election on November 5, 2019.
Virginia Dare Water and Soil Conservation District
General election
General election for Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Leslie Jones (Independent) | 26.4 | 39,302 | |
| ✔ |  | Bill Fleming (Independent) | 20.8 | 30,930 |
| Francis Drumm Jr. (Independent) | 16.9 | 25,230 | ||
| Russell Malbone (Independent) | 10.9 | 16,182 | ||
 | Marsella Sanders (Independent) | 9.4 | 13,973 | |
| Doreen Bender Jackson (Independent) | 8.6 | 12,845 | ||
| John Dickie (Independent) | 6.3 | 9,340 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 1,243 | ||
| Total votes: 149,045 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Laura Habr, candidate for Virginia Beach treasurer, was endorsed by:
- U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
- U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.)
- Congresswoman Elaine Luria
- Governor Ralph Northam (D) and Pam Northam
- State Senator Lynwood Lewis (D-Virginia State Senate District 6)
- Virginia Beach Commissioner of the Revenue Phil Kellam
- Hampton City Treasurer Molly Ward
- The Honorable Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond
- Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association Local 23
- Sierra Club, Virginia Chapter
- Greater Hampton Roads Black Democrats
- Hampton Roads Black Caucus
- BlueUprising "I Surf I Vote"
- Virginia Beach Democratic Committee[7]
Past elections
2018
Virginia Beach City Council
At-Large District (two seats)
General election
General election for Virginia Beach City Council At-large (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Virginia Beach City Council At-large on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Aaron Rouse (Nonpartisan) | 26.7 | 67,089 |
| ✔ |  | John Moss (Nonpartisan) | 22.6 | 56,868 |
 | Dee Oliver (Nonpartisan) | 22.5 | 56,543 | |
 | Allison White (Nonpartisan) | 13.6 | 34,225 | |
 | Linda Bright (Nonpartisan) | 9.0 | 22,549 | |
| Garry Hubbard (Nonpartisan) | 5.1 | 12,707 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 1,393 | ||
| Total votes: 251,374 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Bayside District
General election
General election for Virginia Beach City Council District Bayside
Incumbent Louis Jones defeated Brad Martin in the general election for Virginia Beach City Council District Bayside on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Louis Jones (Nonpartisan) | 49.8 | 70,721 |
 | Brad Martin (Nonpartisan) | 49.5 | 70,191 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.7 | 1,007 | ||
| Total votes: 141,919 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Beach District
General election
General election for Virginia Beach City Council District Beach
David Nygaard defeated incumbent John Uhrin, Richard Kowalewitch, and John Coker in the general election for Virginia Beach City Council District Beach on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | David Nygaard (Nonpartisan) | 33.0 | 48,042 | |
 | John Uhrin (Nonpartisan) | 32.8 | 47,879 | |
 | Richard Kowalewitch (Nonpartisan) | 22.8 | 33,232 | |
| John Coker (Nonpartisan) | 10.9 | 15,877 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 722 | ||
| Total votes: 145,752 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Centerville District (special election)
General election
Special general election for Virginia Beach City Council District Centerville
Sabrina Wooten defeated Eric Wray and Charles Conrad Schesventer in the special general election for Virginia Beach City Council District Centerville on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sabrina Wooten (Nonpartisan) | 61.9 | 82,697 |
 | Eric Wray (Nonpartisan) | 31.8 | 42,495 | |
 | Charles Conrad Schesventer (Nonpartisan) | 5.9 | 7,820 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 630 | ||
| Total votes: 133,642 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Lynnhaven District
General election
General election for Virginia Beach City Council District Lynnhaven
Incumbent James Wood defeated Susanne Henderson and Michael Maskell in the general election for Virginia Beach City Council District Lynnhaven on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | James Wood (Nonpartisan) | 47.4 | 64,654 |
| Susanne Henderson (Nonpartisan) | 31.7 | 43,256 | ||
 | Michael Maskell (Nonpartisan) | 20.0 | 27,318 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 1,129 | ||
| Total votes: 136,357 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Princess Anne District
General election
General election for Virginia Beach City Council District Princess Anne
Incumbent Barbara Henley defeated Tim Worst, Karen Kwasny, and Pieri Burton (Unofficially withdrew) in the general election for Virginia Beach City Council District Princess Anne on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Barbara Henley (Nonpartisan) | 46.9 | 66,709 |
| Tim Worst (Nonpartisan) | 26.1 | 37,217 | ||
 | Karen Kwasny (Nonpartisan) | 23.6 | 33,561 | |
| Pieri Burton (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew) | 2.9 | 4,150 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 685 | ||
| Total votes: 142,322 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
2016
2014
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Virginia elections, 2019
What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
Ballotpedia researches issues in local elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many areas. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local election. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.
Candidate survey
|
|
Ballotpedia invites candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
About the city
- See also: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is considered a county equivalent. As of 2010, its population was 437,994.
City government
- See also: Council-manager government
The city of Virginia Beach uses a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council, which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body, appoints an executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[8][9]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Virginia Beach, Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | Virginia | |
| Population | 437,994 | 8,001,024 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 244 | 39,481 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 66.3% | 67.6% |
| Black/African American | 19% | 19.2% |
| Asian | 6.7% | 6.4% |
| Native American | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Other (single race) | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| Multiple | 5.6% | 3.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 93.5% | 89.7% |
| College graduation rate | 36% | 38.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $76,610 | $74,222 |
| Persons below poverty level | 7.3% | 10.6% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
State profile
- See also: Virginia and Virginia elections, 2019
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019
Presidential voting pattern
- Virginia voted for the Democratic candidate in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. Senators from Virginia were Democrats.
- Virginia had seven Democratic and four Republican U.S. Representatives.
State executives
- Democrats held four of Virginia's 13 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
- Virginia's governor was Democrat Ralph Northam.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled the Virginia State Senate with a 21-19 majority.
- Republicans controlled the Virginia House of Delegates with a 51-49 majority.
Virginia Party Control: 1992-2025
Four years of Democratic trifectas • Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | D | D |
|
|
| Demographic data for Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 8,367,587 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 39,490 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 69% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 19.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 3.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 8.6% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 88.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 36.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $65,015 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 13% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Virginia. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Five of 133 Virginia counties—3.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Buckingham County, Virginia | 11.28% | 2.43% | 0.87% | ||||
| Caroline County, Virginia | 5.02% | 8.24% | 11.97% | ||||
| Essex County, Virginia | 2.14% | 7.30% | 10.35% | ||||
| Nelson County, Virginia | 5.59% | 2.72% | 9.15% | ||||
| Westmoreland County, Virginia | 7.14% | 6.95% | 10.24% | ||||
Note: Although it is highlighted in the map above, the city of Chesapeake is not considered a county and not included in our calculations as such.
In the 2016 presidential election, Virginia was a battleground state. Hillary Clinton (D) won Virginia with 49.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic 56.67 percent of the time and Republican 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic three times (2008, 2012, and 2016) and Republican two times (2000 and 2004).
See also
| Virginia Beach, Virginia | Virginia | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Southside Daily, "After nearly 41 years, Virginia Beach has a new city treasurer—for now, December 28, 2018
- ↑ ‘’The Virginian-Pilot,’’ “Virginia Beach leaders will appoint a new member after councilman was removed from office,’’ March 19, 2019
- ↑ ‘’The Virginian-Pilot,’’ “Virginia Beach City Council picks retired lawyer to fill Beach seat,” April 23, 2019
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 ‘’WAVY,’’ “Shannon Kane resigns from Virginia Beach council”, March 29, 2019
- ↑ Mandy Gillip, "Phone conversation with Tracy Gibbson, City of Virginia Beach General Registrar," April 25, 2019
- ↑ Mandy Gillip, "Phone communication with Tracy Gibson, City of Virginia Beach General Registrar," April 23, 2019
- ↑ Laura Habr 2019 campaign website, "Laura's endorsements," accessed November 5, 2019
- ↑ City of Virginia Beach, "City Council," accessed August 11, 2014
- ↑ City of Virginia Beach, "Form of Government," accessed October 30, 2014
| |||||||||
