From left: Cheryl Burke, Gary Broderick and Bryce Robertson (Photos courtesy the candidates' campaigns)
A Three-Way School Board Race
Cheryl Burke, the interim 7th District representative on the Richmond School Board, hopes to retain her seat in a special election Nov. 6, but she faces a challenge from two other candidates: education activist Gary Broderick and immigration lawyer Bryce Robertson.
The School Board appointed Burke last October, after Nadine Marsh-Carter stepped down, citing the unexpected death of her husband. Burke, who retired in 2014 after 38 years as an educator, including 19 years as principal of Chimborazo Elementary School, says she wants to continue to build relationships of trust with each school community, connect with families and revive parent-teacher organizations.
“My calling is to serve those whose voices are not always heard,” she says.
Broderick, a community organizer with a background in education-related negotiations, says he wants to increase pay for teachers and ensure that their free-speech rights are protected.
“We want a School Board where teachers’ voices are at the front and center,” Broderick says.
Robertson says he wants to work in conjunction with local organizations to tackle issues such as the lack of school nurses, and he wants to increase access to educational resources for students.
“Decision making is about the community, so the School Board needs to be transparent,” Robertson says. —Mac Konrad
John Childrey, Republican (Photo courtesy the candidate's campaign)
Top Prosecutor
In the race to replace former Chesterfield County Commonwealth’s Attorney William Davenport, Republican John Childrey has the benefit of an endorsement from his predecessor. He faces Democrat Scott Miles in a Nov. 6 special election.
Davenport stepped down July 1 after serving the county for 30 years.
Scott Miles, Democrat (Photo courtesy the candidate's campaign)
Childrey, the county’s chief deputy commonwealth’s attorney, served as a deputy state attorney general during Ken Cuccinelli’s term. His background in local and state law enforcement and management has given him “connections and a wealth of knowledge to be efficient at the position immediately,” he says.
Miles, a Chesterfield defense attorney and former Richmond prosecutor, says he believes in aggressive prosecution of violent crime while referring nonviolent offenders, such as opioid addicts, to rehabilitation programs. “We have to give up on the idea that we can incarcerate our way through a public health crisis,” he says. —MK
Brookland District Sees Turnover
Danny Plaugher (Photo by Ricky Blanco)
The next Henrico County Board of Supervisors member representing the Brookland District will be named Daniel.
Democrat Danny Plaugher and Republican Dan Schmitt won their parties’ nominations in August to replace Courtney Lynch, who stepped down at the end of June after about seven and a half months, saying the role was not a good fit. Lynch gave the board its first Democratic majority in decades, replacing the late Richard W. “Dick” Glover, a Republican who served the district for almost 30 years.
Dan Schmitt (Photo courtesy the candidate's campaign)
Plaugher says he would reduce his role as executive director of Virginians for High Speed Rail to part-time if elected, to be “a full-time supervisor.” Compared to when he challenged Glover in 2015, he says, he’s seeing more energy from volunteers. “Because of what’s happening in Washington, more folks are engaged now than I’ve ever seen before.”
Schmitt, president of RMC Events, stressed his accessibility, saying his cell phone number is on all of his campaign materials, and his record of consensus building as a business owner. “These folks want to see a presence in their supervisor again,” he says. “They want to know who to reach out to and who’s going to be an advocate for them.” —Tina Eshleman
