Virginia Elections Fringe at Bottom of the Ticket
Election Day is tomorrow, Tuesday the November 7th, in Virginia and if you live in the state then you have probably already been bombarded with tv commercials, internet ads, mailboxes full of flyers from candidates. All 140 seats are up for election in the state legislature as well as ballot issues like Richmond’s casino have been the top of the ballot. Meanwhile down ballot, some voters will have elections for School Board, Sheriff, and even Clerk of the Court. With over 130 cities and counties in Virginia it’s impossible to learn about every race. These are some of the fringe candidates that I’ve been watching that have a chance to win on Tuesday.
Darren Post, dangerous poster and hostile transphobic school board member is up for reelection. In the past I have written about him about how his rhetoric against trans students. His antics have led to the arrest of 4 people at school boards as well as Boogaloo Boys holding a rally outside of school property.
Post is ready to defend his seat on the School Board of Glouster County. Despite remarks from an outgoing vice chair that she would “sink all the money in the world” to stop his reelection, Post appears to have raised over $100,000 for his school board campaign. Post has loaned his own campaign nearly half of that money while also securing a $30,000 donation from a single donation from a resident in Glouster County. That’s not a normal amount for a school board race. Apparently, Transphobia does generation cash. Post’s election is on Tuesday.
Kirk Twigg, the alleged criminal School Board Chair of Spotsylvania County is up for reelection. He no longer the chair but remains on the Board. His criminal charges stem from his job as the Board’s Chair with forgery and tampering with public records. During this period, Twigg and the Board created a “toxic” environment within the county’s public schools. Going so far to hire Mark Taylor as the School Superintendent, without any background in education. Twigg’s election is on Tuesday… his trial is scheduled later.
Nick Ignacio, jerk of the court, is running for Spotsylvania’s Clerk of the Court. Ignacio is no stranger to elections, including last year when he dropped out of a House of Delegates race to unsuccessfully run for a local Board of Supervisors election. Ignacio is the head of the Fredericksburg Virginia Patriots that has a history of endorsing losers like Amanda Chase on her governor run and Delegate failed races out of the area like Philip Hamiliton and Mike Dickinson.
Ignacio strategy to overcoming his unpopularity, creating and distributing flyers during early voting that imply that he was endorsed by the local Democrats and Republicans. A judge has put a stop to their distribution. So much for law and order. Ignacio’s election is on Tuesday.
Elsewhere in Virginia, Moms for Liberty (sometimes referred to as Moms for Hitler) is attempting to go from yelling about masks and trans students at school boards to sitting on the boards. Some Moms for Liberty endorsed candidates include Leslie Matthews in Warren County, Paul Bartkowski in Fairfax County, and Eleina Espigh in Henrico County. Paul is a weird name for a mom, but I’m not going to judge. They all have their elections on Tuesday.
Not all are running campaigns like MAGA Republicans. Meg Scalia Bryce (yes THAT Scalia) is the daughter of the former ultraconservative Supreme Court Justice who is running for a seat on the Albemarle School Board. The Nation reports that she is attempting to run as a moderate, similar to Glenn Youngkin when he led a successfully wave of elections in 2021. However, they also note that she slipped up in a debate by stating “not everyone agrees there is systematic racism.” Bryce’s election is on Tuesday.
It’s not just school boards dipping their toes in criminal elements like Krik Twigg. Sheriff Scott Jenkins of Culpeper County is still the Sherriff after being indicted for taking bribes. While his trial is much further down the road, Jenkins’ election is Tuesday.
And finally, Sheriff Mark Butler is the incredible Sheriff of Warren County. He is so incredible that Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney has found him to not be a credible witness. Butler’s election is on Tuesday, against a candidate nonmined by the local Republicans, and even has the Virginia Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert to endorse Butler's opponent.
This has been a reminder for voters going to the polls on Tuesday that the people further down the ticket in local elections have stories that are worth learning about before you vote. Nick Ignacio’s fake sample ballots have voters feeling tricked. So, check before you check the box. There are huge elections in tiny areas that will affect how schools, courts, and law enforcement will function (or not function) for the next few years.
an hour after I shared this post on FB, I received a GOTV text from Mark Butler!!