ELECTION RESULTS: Washington turnout light

Staff reports
In spite of an at-times spirited campaign, voters didn’t flock to the polls to cast ballots in Tuesday’s General Election. Fewer than 35 percent of the county’s 32,452 registered voters chose to take part in the election.
State Sen. William Wampler Jr. won a return trip to Richmond with about 63 percent of the vote. The Republican was unopposed in his bid. Washington County voters gave him 9,723 votes
Democratic Delegate Joe Johnson, who was also unopposed, received 10,608 votes, 9,112 from the county.
Republican incumbent Terry Kilgore faced a challenge from Democrat hopeful Jerry Taylor. Kilgore easily won Washington County’s share of the vote with 1,087 votes to Taylor’s 349. District wide, Kilgore received around 72 percent of the vote.
School Board members Elizabeth Lowe and Bill Brooks were unopposed in their re-election bids. Lowe received 1,550 votes and Brooks received 1,015.
Incumbent School Board members Buckey Boone and Dayton Owens were also returned to office, besting Belinda Cole and Michael Hayter, respectively. Boone received 1,345 votes to Cole’s 541. Owens received 1,083 votes, or 53 percent of the vote. Hayter notched 47 percent of the vote with 958 votes. Nearly 50 percent of the eligible voters in that district cast ballots, compared to the 36 percent who turned out to vote in District C.
With no incumbent seeking office, the Clerk of Court position was wide open. However, Republican Tricia Phipps emerged as a clear winner with 56 percent of the vote. Democrat Mark Graham settled for 4,101 votes, for 33 percent and independent Lisa Andis walked away with 10 percent of the vote, or 1,234 votes. Phipps received 6968.
Democrat Dennis Godfrey, running unopposed, was returned to office with 10,034 votes. Democratic Treasurer Fred Parker, also unopposed, received 10,897 votes.
Incumbent Sheriff Fred Newman, a Democrat, easily won re-election against challengers Republican Michael Hall and independent Patrick Mannix. Newman received 8,736 votes, or 70 percent votes. Hall received 3,689 votes and Mannix 163.
In the Commissioner of Revenue race, Democrat David Henry Jr. received the endorsement of retiring incumbent Melvin Ritchie and the position, besting Republican Patty Denton 6,704 votes to 5,183 votes.
Incumbent David DeBusk and Phil Lineberry were joined by Henry Snodgrass III to fill the three Soil and Water Conservation Director positions. DeBusk received 7,181 votes. Snodgrass received 6,560 and Lineberry received 6,014.
Incumbents ruled the Board of Supervisors race, too. Phil McCall, a Democrat running unopposed reclaimed his seat with 1,661 votes. His Republican colleague, Odell Owens, also running unopposed, reclaimed his with 989 votes.
Democrat Kenneth Reynolds, the incumbent in District C, held onto his seat in the face of a strong challenge from Republican Bill Gibson. In a close race, Reynolds tallied 1,034 votes, or 52 percent, Gibson 958, for 48 percent.
In District D, with no incumbent, the Democrats edged the Republicans as Tom Taylor won the Supervisors seat with 56 percent of the vote, or 1,087 votes, to Wayne McNeil’s 841 votes, or 43 percent.