Special Election Jan. 7; Early voting begins Dec. 27
By Heather Michon
Correspondent
A mass meeting of Republicans in Goochland on Friday night (Dec. 13) continued into the early hours of Saturday. It resulted in a surprising nominee for the state seat recently vacated by Congressman-elect John McGuire.
Seven candidates were vying for the nomination, including Duane Adams (Louisa), Amanda Chase (Appomattox), Bryan Hamlet (Cumberland), Jean Gannon (Powhatan), Luther Cifers (Prince Edward), recent college graduate Alex Chatham, and former Chase legislative aide Shayne Snavely.
Going into Friday’s convention, Adams and Chase were seen as the most likely winners. Hamlet had the support of Fluvanna School Board chair Andrew Pullen.
A total of 1,034 credentialed voters from across the 10th District’s ten counties assembled at the Goochland Sports Complex starting at 6:30 on Friday night. The district includes Fluvanna County. Voting took place in rounds, with those receiving the lowest votes winnowed out in each round.
At the end of the first round, Cheatham, Hamlet, and Snavely were bumped from contention, and Gannon withdrew. Chase was knocked out in the second round, leaving only Adams and Cifers.
When the votes were totaled after midnight on Saturday morning, Cifers – a political newcomer – defeated Adams, a longtime Louisa County supervisor.
Cifers, 50, founded Farmville-based YakAttack in 2009. The company, which Cifers launched with just $2,000, now sells around $6 million in fishing and kayaking equipment annually.
He will face off against Democratic challenger Jack Trammell in a special election on Jan. 7. He is expected to win the conservative-leaning 10th District, where Donald Trump took 62.8 percent of the vote in November.
Early voting begins on Dec. 27 and ends on Jan. 4, 2025. Voters can cast their ballots at the registrar’s office at 265 Turkeysag Trail in Palmyra during the early voting period. (The office will be closed from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2.) Those voting on Jan. 7 will need to go to their usual polling place.
For more information or questions, contact the registrar at 434-589-3593.
