So far, all three towns see uncontested races for three seats; Shenandoah mayor’s seat may provide the only race in the county this November for municipal seats
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, June 12 — While much of the attention on this November’s general election will focus on the fate of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, there will also be 10 municipal seats on the Page County ballot as well. As of now, none of those 10 seats are contested. However, those who may be interested in making the local fall elections interesting still have time to get their name on the ballot.
The deadline for local candidates seeking a seat on any of the three town councils in the county to file their Declaration of Candidacy is 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16. In Luray and Shenandoah, candidates will need 50 signatures in addition to the normal paperwork, but candidates in Stanley are not requied to gather signatures, based on population.
In Luray, all three incumbents have filed their paperwork with the Page County voter registrar. Terms are ending Dec. 31 for council members Ron Vickers (vice mayor), Jerry Dofflemyer, and Ryan Dean. Former Councilman Alex White submitted his resignation on Oct. 8, 2025 with a little over a year remaining in his four-year term, creating the vacancy that Dean filled by appointment in November.
As of Friday, no one has technically filed for three open seats on the Stanley Council. However, council members Bruce Stoneberger (vice mayor), Robin Good, and Doug Purdham have all picked up the paperwork from the registar’s office and are expected to file by the Tuesday deadline.
In Shenandoah, two council candidates have filed their paperwork and a third is gathering final signatures. Vice Mayor Bill Kite is stepping away from council after a long tenure, and council member Denise Cave is stepping down after one term. Gary “Red” Taylor and Nathan T. Comer have already filed to appear on the ballot, while incumbent councilman Lynn Fox is expected to gather his final signatures and meet the Tuesday deadline.
The Shenandoah mayor’s race is the only ballot option that leaves a sense of mystery, or even competition. During an interview with PVN in January, Mayor Clinton Lucas stated that he would not be running for another two-year term after a tenure that spans nearly four decades. However, Lucas is currently the only candidate registered for mayor of Shenandoah. Former town manager Juanita Roudabush has shown interest and picked up paperwork, but some believe that she was anticipating an uncontested race and may not pursue a campaign against the longtime mayor.
The Republican Primary Election will be held on August 4, 2026; the deadline to register to vote for this election will be July 24, 2026. That may be done in person at the voter registrar’s office or online at www.elections.virginia.gov. While incumbent Ben Cline will remain the local Republican nominee for the House and face Democrat Beth Macy, the Aug. 4 GOP primary will determine who challenges Democrat incumbent Mark Warner for his Senate seat.
There could be as many as three ballot questions for voters to consider in November, but the local registrar’s office has not received information about those referendums, according to Page County Voter Registrar Carol Gaunt.
The Voter Registration office is located in the Page County Government Center,
103 South Court Street, Luray; the early voting office is located on the ground floor.
•••
RELATED ARTICLES
Redistricting measure passes by 80,063 votes among more than 3 million ballots cast statewide
Two new members to join Board of Supervisors and School Board
Stanley Police Chief appointed to Luray Council
Good appointed to fill vacancy on Stanley Council
Be the first to comment