Local races forming for commonwealth’s attorney, board of supervisors; school board seats remain wide open
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The breakdown of local elections in this article is not meant to be definitive. A little over six weeks remain before the filing deadlines, so names and races could change. A portion of our purpose here is to inform those who may be interested in the current status of local races, what may be required to file, and the deadline to enter paperwork.
~ UPDATED – 10 p.m. Friday, May 2 ~
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, May 2 — While more than six weeks remain for candidates to file paperwork with the county’s voter registrar to appear on the November ballot, several local races are starting to take shape. The 2025 election cycle will focus on the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General races, with Early Voting in the Democratic Primary starting TODAY – Friday, May 2.
Democratic Primary
The race for Governor seems to be set between former Democratic Congressman Abigail Spanberger and current Lieutenant Governor, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. However, Democrats are holding a primary for Lt. Governor and Attorney General featuring the following candidates:
Lieutenant Governor
- Levar Marcus Stoney
- Babur B. Lateef
- Aaron R. Rouse
- Victor R. Salgado
- Ghazala F. Hashmi
- Alexander J. Bastani
Attorney General
- Shannon L. Taylor
- Jay C. Jones
Republicans will not be holding primaries for state races. However, early voting in the Democratic primary listed above began Friday, May 2. The actual primary day — voting in-person at the polls — is Tuesday, June 17. To cast a ballot in the primary, all voters must be registered by May 27. The deadline to request absentee ballots by mail is June 6. The location for early in-person voting on the ground floor of the county government center on South Court Street in Luray will be open on two consecutive Saturdays prior to the primary on June 7 and 14.
Commonwealth’s Attorney
With the departure of Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Cave in about two weeks for a position on the bench in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in the 26th Judicial District, the race to fill his shoes has attracted two candidates. However, before the race becomes official, the judge must issue a writ for an election to fill Cave’s position after his final day (around May 16).
Luray attorney Charles “Chuck” Butler and former Marine Chapman Good have obtained paperwork from the county registrar to begin the process of gathering 125 signatures to appear on the November ballot. A member of the Page County Republican Committee indicated that local attorney Parker Gochenour was also considering a run to become the county’s top prosecutor. However, a recent post on social media indicated that Gochenour has declined to run.
“I have been asked by many of you on my decision to seek the office of Commonwealth[‘s] Attorney for Page County in the upcoming special election,” Gochenour writes in an April 29 Facebook post. “God has blessed me with a beautiful family and a life journey that I could never take for granted. But, for now, it’s that family, my two young girls and wife, that I must dedicate my focus. I am nonetheless honored by those who would support my candidacy and appreciate their encouragement.”
The local GOP has not endorsed a candidate at this time.
Due to it being a special election, in which the vacancy occurred after the November election, candidates for the commonwealth’s attorney race have until Friday, Aug. 15 to file their candidacy. The upcoming election will fill the position through Cave’s term, ending Dec. 31, 2027.
Board of Supervisors
The chairman’s seat on the Page County Board of Supervisors will be vacant, as current Chairman Keith Weakley plans to step down after one term.
“I have all but decided to not seek reelection for the next term of Chairman at large,” Weakley told PVN in a response several weeks ago. “This was a decision I have not taken lightly. My work travel schedule is making it more difficult to find the time necessary for the success of this position. I feel that I am not able to devote the necessary time and energy to the Chairman’s role that it and the citizens of Page County need and deserve at this time.”
The first, and only, candidate to file for the chairman’s seat is Clinton “Bucky” Thomas. He has been qualified by the registrar’s office , and he has gained the endorsement of the local Republican Committee.
The District 1 seat has already grown to a three-way race. Incumbent Keith Guzy has picked up paperwork to seek a fourth, four-year term. He notified the local Republican Committee of his intentions, but new deadlines and procedures adopted in Richmond required him to gather 125 signatures, even though he was an incumbent.
“Unlike the last three elections, where I could let the local Republican Party know that I would like to run and they would submit my name to the Registrar, I now have to get signatures prior to the June deadline. In order to run as a Republican, I would have to had the signatures early [April] and then go to a primary. With work, family, and a busy winter, I was surprised by the new procedure put in place and decided to not pursue the Republican nomination, but to instead run as an Independent,” Guzy told PVN in recent weeks.
“I have been a Republican since my first vote at 18 years old, but Party lines do not play a factor in our local government. We are here to provide the services for our citizens and to try keep the cost of living at a reasonable rate while doing so,” he continued. “As a Board, I feel like we have accomplished much in the last 12 years to put the County in a good position. We have tried to lower taxes and provide more services. We have increased tax revenue by passing taxes along to tourists instead of County citizens. I am just as passionate now as I was 12 years ago when I first ran to protect a place we all love (Page County), a place where my kids continue to call home.”
Joseph “Jeremy” Baldwin received the Republican endorsement for the District 1 seat and has been quailifed by the registrar. Michael Montgomery has picked up forms from the registrar, as a second potential independent candidate.
Incumbent Jeff Vaughan of Shenandoah is the only person to pick up forms from the registrar for the District 5 seat on the board. He is expected to run as an independent.
A special election will be held to fill the remainder of Isaac Smelser’s term in District 4. Susan Kyle was appointed to fill the seat this winter, and the registrar was in the process of proofing her paperwork to qualify as a candidate on Thursday. She has already gained the Republican Committee endorsement. Duane Blosser has picked up paperwork from the registrar for the District 4 seat.
Due to it being a special election, in which the vacancy occurred after the November election, candidates for the District 4 race have until Friday, Aug. 15 to file their candidacy. The upcoming election will fill the position through Smelser’s original term, ending Dec. 31, 2027.
All other supervisor candidates must file their paperwork, including 125 signatures, by June 17.
School Board
The Page County School Board is in for some new faces in 2026, as all three incumbents are not seeking reelection in Districts 1 and 5, and the chairman’s seat.
“I am completing my 16th year as the District 5 School Board representative. I have enjoyed and feel honored to have had the support of District 5. I had thought seriously all last summer and made the decision in the early fall that I would not run again,” stated longtime District 5 School Board member Jackie Sullivan-Smoot. “I have four wonderful grandchildren to spend time with and hope to get in some more travel time in the future.”
Charlie Queen has picked up a packet from the registrar for the District 5 school board seat.
However, no one has stepped forward to seek the District 1 seat. Incumbent Taylor Alger told PVN she had “a lot on her plate,” including pursuit of a masters degree in crisis and trauma counseling through an online course at Liberty University. Alger was appointed in late 2022 to replace the late Tommy Lansberry and won the remainder of his term in November 2023.
“I learned a lot and I enjoyed my time on the board,” Alger said, “but I will still be serving the students in many different ways.”
Duane Painter, currently the district 4 representative on the School Board, has picked up forms to run for chairman.
Luray Council
A special election will be held to fill the remainder of Stephanie Lillard’s Council term through Dec. 31, 2027. Lillard won a two-way race in November with Councilman Ron Vickers to become mayor, thus vacating her council seat in January. Former mayor (and former councilman) Jerry Dofflemyer was appointed to the seat in February, and now he is the only person who has obtained paperwork from the registrar to run for the position.
Due to it being a special election, in which the vacancy occurred after the November election, candidates for Luray Council have until Friday, Aug. 15 to file their candidacy.
Key Dates for the 2025 General Election
- Sept. 19 — Early voting opens.
- Oct. 14 — Deadline to register
- Oct. 24 — Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail
- Oct. 25 — Open for early in-person voting (Saturday)
- Nov. 1 — Final day of early in-person voting (Saturday)
- Nov. 4 — ELECTION DAY
NOTE: The Page County Democratic Committee has not endorsed any local candidates for office, according to the committee chairman.
For more information about the upcoming elections, call the Page County Voter Registrar’s Office at 540-743-3986 or email cgaunt@pagecounty.virginia.gov, or visit them at 103 S. Court St., Suite D, Luray.
•••
RELATED ARTICLES
Butler announces bid to become Page County’s next commonwealth’s attorney
Commonwealth’s attorney confirmed for the bench by General Assembly
Smelser steps down as District 4 supervisor
Four candidates step forward in District 4
Familiar face likely to rejoin Luray Council
Be the first to comment