Elections can be confusing, especially for students who aren’t yet old enough to vote, and aren’t keeping up with politics. The 2023 elections appointed many new leaders in the state, as well in Loudoun County.
VA General Assembly –
The Virginia General Assembly is divided into two houses: the Senate of Virginia with 100 seats, and the Virginia House of Delegates with 40 seats. In this past election, all 140 seats were on the ballot. This is significant because the General Assembly has a major influence on the laws that are passed in Virginia.
Before the election, the Democrats held the majority in the Senate of Virginia, and they maintained this majority on Nov. 7, winning 21 of the 40 seats. The House of Delegates was previously Republican dominated, but the Democrats won a 51-48 majority.
With the legislative branch leaning left and the executive branch led by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, Virginia is a divided state. The seat of governor was not on the ballot this year, and will be up for election in 2025.
Board of Supervisors –
According to the Loudoun County, VA – Official Website, the responsibilities of the Board of Supervisors include: adopting ordinances, managing funds, approving land rezonings, and carrying out other jobs listed in the State Code. Out of the eight seats on the board, five members were reelected: Juli E. Briskman, Michael R. Turner, Sylvia R. Glass, Caleb A. Kershner and Matthew F. Letourneau. Below are the winners of each seat:
Chair At-Large: Phyllis J. Randall
Algonkian District: Juli E. Briskman
Ashburn District: Michael R. “Mike” Turner
Broad Run District: Sylvia R. Glass
Catoctin District: Caleb A. Kershner
Dulles District: Matthew F. Letourneau
Leesburg District: Kristen C. Umstattd
Little River District: Laura A. TeKrony
Sterling District: Koran T. Saines
School Board –
All nine seats on the Loudoun County School Board are now filled by new members. For more information on each of the board members, read “Shaking Up the Ballot!” by staff writer Luke Pierce. Below are the names of all of the members:
Member at Large: Anne P. Donohue
Algonkian District: April Moore Chandler
Ashburn District: Deana L. Griffiths
Broad Run District: Linda W. Deans
Catoctin District: Karen L. “Kari” LaBell
Dulles District: Melinda M. Mansfield
Leesburg District: Lauren E. Shernoff
Little River District: Sumera Rashid
Sterling District: Arben Istrefi
Other Local Positions –
Michael L. “Mike” Chapman has been Sheriff since he was elected in 2011, and this year’s election kept him in office. According to the Virginia Sheriff’s Association, his duties include managing civil process, court security, law enforcement, and local jail.
Reelected as the Clerk of the Circuit Court, is Gary M. Clemens, who has held the position for the past 23 years, according to his website Gary M. Clemens – Clerk of the Circuit Court. The website also lists his duties in this position, which include judicial services, jury management, land records, probate and fiduciary, custodian of court cases, business services, and custodian of historic records.
In a close race against Buta Biberaj, the incumbent, R.D. “Bob” Anderson, won the position of Commonwealth Attorney by approximately 1,000 votes. According to his campaign website, Bob Anderson for Commonwealth Attorney, Anderson served as Commonwealth Attorney from 1996-2003, and values communication, cooperation, coordination and transparency. In this position, he is a constitutional officer for the Loudoun County Government, and is responsible for the county’s Victim Witness Program, according to Loudoun County, VA – Official Website.
Robert S. “Bob” Wertz Jr. was reelected as Commissioner of the Revenue. According to the Loudoun County Republican Committee, who endorsed Wertz, he has served in this position for over 30 years, and his focus is on “the taxpayer.” The Code of Virginia describes the duties of Commissioner of the Revenue, as assessing property income and license taxes, auditing tax returns, and keeping accounting of delinquent tax accounts.
The position of Loudoun County Treasurer has been given to Henry C. Eickelberg, who was endorsed by the county’s previous treasurer, H. Roger Zurn Jr., according to his website Eickelberg for Treasurer. Eickelberg’s experience includes being a part of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Advisory Committee, where he eventually served as a Committee Chair. The Loudoun County, VA – Official Website lists the responsibilities of the Treasurer’s Office as billing and collecting taxes as well as managing county revenue.
More information can be found about all of the officeholders by checking out their campaign websites. All Virginia election results can be found at Virginia Department of Elections – Election Results: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/resultsreports/election-results/
We wish all of our newly elected officials the best of luck in office!
