The Danville Electoral Board on Monday certified the results of last week’s general election, including the City Council race. The official tally produced no surprises.
All four incumbents who sought re-election to the City Council won four-year terms. The incumbents were James Buckner, Bryant Hood, Alonzo Jones, and Dr. Gary Miller. Jones is currently serving as mayor. Miller is the vice mayor.
The Electoral Board certified the vote after postmarked absentee ballots were counted and provisional ballots reviewed. The deadline for postmarked absentee ballots was noon Monday.
The official results are available on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
A total of 11,897 voters or 41.4 percent of 28,735 registered voters in Danville cast ballots in the general election.
Jones led the field, with an official tally of 7,600 votes, 68 more than the unofficial results reported last week. He was followed by Hood, who gained 48 votes for a total of 6,563 votes. Miller added 50 votes for a total of 6,446. Buckner picked up 35 votes, bringing his total to 5,968.
There were six candidates for the four seats, with Petrina Carter garnering 5,462 votes (up 52 votes from unofficial results). Maureen Belko had an official tally of 3,544 votes.
This regular election was the first for the City Council to be held in November. In 2021, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law requiring localities to hold municipal elections in the month of November. The City Council elections had been held in the month of May in even-numbered years.
The City Council is the governing body of the City of Danville. It is comprised of nine people, elected at large for four-year staggered terms. The City Council elects the mayor and vice mayor from its membership. These officials serve two-year terms.
For last week’s winning candidates, their four-year term begins Jan. 1. The other current members of the City Council are the Rev. Larry Campbell Jr., Barry Mayo, Sherman Saunders, Lee Vogler and Madison Whittle, all of whom have two years remaining on their four-year term.
Jones has been a member of the City Council since 2010, when he was first elected to a four-year term. He won re-election bids in May 2014 and again in May 2018. He served as vice mayor from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2018. On July 1, 2018, he was elected by the Council to serve as Mayor and was re-elected as Mayor in 2020.
Miller has been a member of the City Council since March 2008, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy due to a resignation. He was elected to a four-year term May 2010. He won re-election bids in May 2014 and again in May 2018. He has served as vice mayor since July 1, 2020.
Buckner has been a member of the City Council since 2014, when he was first elected to a four-year term. He won re-election in May 2018.
Hood has been a member of the City Council since Dec. 1, 2020, after winning a special election in November 2020 election to fill a vacant seat due to a resignation.
Also last week, voters cast ballots for the Danville School Board. Five candidates vied for three seats with four-year terms. Ty’Quan Graves, Keisha Averett and Keith Silverman prevailed. The official tallies show Graves received 6,156 votes, Averett received 5,815 votes, and Silverman grabbed 5,298 votes.
Candidates Michael Pritchett Jr. and Kushanna Galloway officially garnered 4,688 and 4,109 votes, respectively.
Also, Takessa C. S. "Keisha" Walker will serve out the remainder of Renee Hughes’ term. Unopposed in last week’s election, she received 7,308 votes in the official tally.
The School Board is a seven-member group. Members are elected to staggered terms. The other members are Philip Campbell, Tyrell Payne, and Charles McWilliams III.