Democratic candidate Courtney Lynch and Republican Robert H. "Bob" Witte Jr. participate in an Oct. 26 forum organized by ChamberRVA at the Libbie Mill Library. (Photo by Jackie Kruszewski)
While the U.S. Supreme Court mulls a redistricting case that could reverse a trend of gerrymandering political districts into non-competitiveness, one Henrico County Board of Supervisors district is in the midst of an increasingly rare election: a competitive seat up for grabs.
More than that, the race is fight for Henrico County’s future, as Democrats look to gain a third seat and majority on the five-member board, which Republicans have dominated for decades. The Brookland District election could be seen as testing the force of changing demographics against the tug of tradition. Republican Richard (Dick) Glover represented the district for nearly 30 years, often running unopposed and winning by large margins. He was serving as Board of Supervisors chairman when he died in February at age 82. Retired Deputy County Manager Harvey Hinson filled the seat in the interim.
Geographically and politically, the vertically shaped Brookland District is in the center of Henrico County. It straddles Staples Mill Road between West Broad Street and Interstate 295, taking in areas such as Lakeside, Glen Allen, Dumbarton and Laurel west of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and east of Innsbrook; its southern portion connects to the western edge of Richmond. The two districts to the east, Fairfield and Varina, are Democratic strongholds while the two more affluent districts to the west, Tuckahoe and Three Chopt, lean Republican.
Brookland overlays some competitive House of Delegates districts as well, and a fierce fight in all these races is expected to turn out a high number of voters on Nov. 7. A political shift occurred between 2008, when the district favored Republican presidential nominee John McCain, and 2012, when Barack Obama won a majority during his re-election bid.
Robert H. "Bob" Witte Jr.
Vying for Glover's former seat are Republican Robert H. "Bob" Witte Jr., 65, a Henrico Planning Commission member and retired Henrico Fire Division captain, and Democratic candidate Courtney D. Lynch, a 43-year-old consultant, author and Marine Corps veteran with a law degree from the College of William & Mary.
Witte, who has lived in the Brookland District since 1976, positions himself as Glover's natural successor. "Dick Glover’s been prepping me for this since I was in the fire department," he says in an interview. He touts his experience in county government, noting that Glover appointed him to the Citizen Transportation Advisory Committee, the Board of Zoning Appeals as well as the Planning Commission.
When asked about what difference it makes which party represents the district, he stressed fiscal responsibility, noting that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to push for niceties — "things we don't need." Witte says his priorities include public safety, education, economic development and low tax rates.
Courtney D. Lynch
Lynch who grew up in Fairfax County, and has three children in Henrico County Public Schools, says, "I feel that our community can really benefit from having a diverse slate of leaders. I’d be only the second woman ever elected to the Board of Supervisors, the only mother of school-aged kids." Her priorities, she says, include strengthening schools, pursuing regional economic development opportunities and making streets safer for pedestrians.
Witte has collected nearly 50 percent more in donations than Lynch in what has been a relatively expensive race for a district with about 65,000 residents. According to filings with the Virginia Department of Elections, Lynch raised $83,265 and Witte $164,794 as of Oct. 26. In 2015, Glover raised a little over $80,000 for his re-election campaign, and his opponent, who garnered 39 percent of the vote, raised less than $36,000.
The Richmond Association of Realtors' Political Action Committee endorsed Lynch, as did Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who campaigned in the district with Lynch and Schuyler VanValkenburg, the Democrat running against Republican Eddie Whitlock to fill the 72nd House seat vacated by Republican Jimmie Massie.
Massie supports Witte, who is also backed by Hinson and Republican Del. John O'Bannon, himself facing a challenge in his re-election bid in the House of Delegates' 73rd District.
The Republican Party of Virginia made an issue of Stoney's support for Lynch in a recent mailer calling them a "liberal team" and stating that she would back transit expansion benefiting Richmond residents at a high cost to Henrico taxpayers. Witte has denied responsibility for the mailer and said he disapproves of its "edgy tone." Lynch has said she supports extending bus routes to Short Pump in a fiscally responsible way.
Rich Meagher, a political science professor at Randolph-Macon College, says Stoney's endorsement of a candidate in a local board of supervisors race is unusual. But Meagher calls the mailer "classic white-flight politics." If that strategy is successful, he adds, "We'll see it used more often in future races around Virginia, especially in Richmond's suburban counties."
Of course, this is all under the cloak of a supposedly apolitical race. Virginia law bars the identification of local candidates’ political affiliations, a statute upheld in court earlier this year. Like many localities, Henrico County holds primaries for nominees, and affiliations are listed online — just not on the Election Day ballot.
But both sides say that “D” and “R” means something, even on the local level. Cheryl Zando, chairwoman of the Henrico County Democrats, says that, while local politicians tend to want what’s best for their constituents, a majority by one party makes a difference.
“I think [a Democratic majority] will bring a few different values to the table,” she says.
Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Patricia O'Bannon, who represents the Tuckahoe District and is married to Del. O'Bannon, told Richmond magazine in a March interview that Republicans dominating the board "have consistently been innovative and efficient and have lowered taxes." She added, “At the end of the year, usually what happens if you have money left over is a board that’s run by Republicans says ‘Wow, maybe we should save that money because next year looks like it’s going to be a tight year,’ ” or use the money to pay off bonds. “A Democrat board would say, ‘Hey, there’s extra money. Let’s spend it.’ ”
Zando balks at the idea that Democrats aren't good fiscal managers. "There are great localities run by Democrats, like Fairfax County," she says. "Henrico is not going to go from a top bond rating to being a struggling locality because we switched the party affiliation of one board member."
