2023 Candidate Guide for Montgomery County

2023 Candidate Guide for Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Virginia 2023 Candidate Guide

Download our Montgomery County 2023 Candidate Guide (pdf).

This November, we will have all 140 seats of the General Assembly on our ballot. Additionally, five Montgomery County Constitutional Officers, Districts B, E, F, G Board of Supervisors and School Board, as well as Blacksburg Town Council and Christiansburg Town Council seats are on the ballot.

Montgomery County, Virginia District Map

Candidates & Races

Virginia House of Delegates, Districts 41, 42

The Virginia House of Delegates consists of 100 members who each represent approximately 86,000 Virginians. Delegates serve two-year terms. All 100 seats are on the ballot in November 2023.Virginia General Assembly Districts were redrawn in 2021 following the 2020 census. House District 41 includes western Roanoke County and much of Montgomery County, including the town of Blacksburg. House District 42 includes Giles County, eastern Pulaski County, the city of Radford, and part of Montgomery County including the town of Christiansburg.

District 41

  • Lily Franklin (D)
  • Chris Obenshain (R)

District 42

  • Jason Ballard (R)

Virginia Senate, Districts 4, 5

The Senate of Virginia consists of 40 members who each represent approximately 215,000 Virginians. Senators serve four-year terms. All 40 seats are on the ballot in November 2023.Virginia General Assembly districts were redrawn in 2021 following the 2020 census. Senate District 4 includes the cities of Roanoke and Salem, southern Roanoke County, and eastern Montgomery County, including the town of Christiansburg. Senate District 5 includes the counties of Tazewell, Smyth, Bland, northwestern Wythe County, Giles, Pulaski, the city of Radford, and western Montgomery County including the town of Blacksburg. Senate District 7 includes the counties of Franklin, Henry, Carroll, Patrick, Floyd, Grayson, southern Wythe County, and the cities of Martinsville and Galax.

District 4

  • David R. Suetterlein (R)
  • Trish White-Boyd (D)

District 5

  • Robert Beckman (D)
  • Travis Hackworth (R)

District 7

  • Deborah I. “Rennie” Gates (D)
  • William M. “Bill” Stanley, Jr. (R)

Montgomery County Constitutional Officers

Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Circuit Court serves as the general record keeper for the county, and records land transfers, deeds, mortgages, wills, adoptions,  divorces, military records, election results, and court judgments. The Circuit Court office also issues marriage licenses, name changes, notary commissions, and concealed handgun permits, and collects fines and costs from court proceedings.

  • Tiffany Couch (D)
  • Nicholas Cody Rush (R)

Commonwealth's Attorney

  • Mary K. Pettitt (R)

Sherrif

  • C.H. “Hank” Partin (R)

Commissioner of the Revenue

The Commissioner of the Revenue is responsible for accurately assessing all tangible personal property (personal and business) and maintaining real estate ownership records. The Commissioner oversees tax relief programs for seniors and permanently disabled citizens, 100% service-connected disabled veterans, surviving spouses of 100% service-connected veterans and surviving spouses of those killed in action, land use and the car tax rebate. The Commissioner also oversees the filing of Virginia State income tax returns.

  • Tara Cochran Vance (R)
  • Brenda E. Winkle (D)

Treasurer

The Treasurer is an elected official responsible for the receipt and collection of revenue from local, state and federal sources. The Treasurer collects, disburses and invests County funds, maintains a general ledger and collects local and state taxes.

  • Mary M. Weaver (R)

Montgomery County Board of Supervisors

The Board of Supervisors sets the annual budget and tax rates, enacts legislation governing the County and its citizens, sets policies and oversees their implementation. There are seven supervisors; one is elected from each of the seven geographic districts. Terms are four years; three or four seats are up for re-election each odd year. This year supervisor districts B, E, F, and G are up for election.

District B Candidates

  • Meredith M. Hutton (R)
  • Derek W. Kitts (D)

District E Candidates

  • Anthony M. Grafsky (D)
  • Darrell O. Sheppard (R)

District F Candidates

  • Mary W. Biggs (D)

District G Candidates

  • April Noelle DeMotts (D)
  • David E. Shelor Jr. (I)

Montgomery County School Board

Montgomery County Public Schools is led by a School Board of seven members, all elected by district for four year terms. School board elections are non-partisan. This year school board members in districts B, E, F, and G are up for election.

District B Candidates

  • Penny J. Franklin
  • Mark L. Miear

District E Candidates

  • Lindsay J. Rich
  • S. Derek Rountree

District F Candidates

  • Laura S. Purcell

District G Candidates

  • Edward J.K. Gitre
  • Jason Edward Massie

Town Councils

Blacksburg Town Council

Since 1952, the Town of Blacksburg has been organized under the Council-Manager form of government. Blacksburg Town Council is the legislative body responsible for adopting all ordinances and resolutions, approving the annual operating and capital budgets, setting all tax rates, approving the five year Capital Improvement Program, setting all user fees, making land use and zoning decisions, and establishing long range plans and policies.

>Town council candidates run at large and the election is non-partisan. There are three open seats on the Blacksburg Town Council. Only two candidates have filed for election. You will have the opportunity to write in the name of a third candidate.

For more information about Blacksburg Town Council, see https://www.blacksburg.gov/town-council.

Candidates

  • Jerry R. Ford Jr.
  • Michael D. Sutphin

Christiansburg Town Council

Description: Christiansburg Town Council is the legislative body that is responsible for establishing policy, taxation, land use and operating budgets for the Town. The Town was first incorporated in 1792. In 1956, the Town adopted a council-manager form of government. The council has six voting members and a mayor who votes in the event of a tie.

Town Council and Mayor candidates run at-large in nonpartisan, general elections every four years, with three council seats available every two years and the mayor seat available every four years. Six candidates have filed for three open seats.

For more information about the Christiansburg Town Council, see https://www.christiansburg.org/174/Town-Council.

Candidates

  • Jeff W. Akers
  • Samuel M. Bishop III
  • Kim A. Bowman
  • WendyGlass
  • Johana Hicks
  • Steve H. Huppert
  • Mike O. Scarry

Candidate Forums

This fall, the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County, VA together with the Montgomery Co-Radford City-Floyd Co branch of the NAACP hosted a series of Candidate Forums. Not all of the candidates agreed to attend, so not all races were covered, but the local races were well-attended. Watch the video replays here. Note that the Blacksburg Town Council forum was livestreamed but no replay has been made available.

Candidate Forum Videos