VIRGINIA BEACH — Most of the races in Virginia Beach were too close to call late Tuesday night as early voting, absentee and provisional ballots remain unreported. In the mayor’s race, Bobby Dyer is ahead of four challengers with 44.4% of the vote and 96% of precincts reporting from Election Day in-person votes. Sabrina Wooten had more than 28% of the vote. Dyer faced R.K. Kowalewitch, John Moss, Chris Taylor and Wooten. Taylor and Wooten currently serve on the City Council while Moss is a former member. Kowalewitch has not held office; this was his fourth run for mayor. The
mayor is elected at-large to a four-year term, and the office has no term limit. The Virginia Beach Registar Christine Lewis said as of midnight, early voting ballots were not reported as part of vote totals. The Virginia Department of Elections website showed more than 86,000 ballots counted Tuesday night. But 121,000 early votes were cast in the city, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
City Council
Five City Council seats were up for election. Two districts will have
new representation next year as two incumbents ran for mayor. In District 1, which includes parts of Kempsville, incumbent Dave “Hutch” Hutcheson, a former city fire chief is leading at 57% of the vote. He faced newcomer Ryan Gilliam, an instrumentation technician. Hutcheson won in a January special election when his predecessor Rocky Holcolm resigned to become interim sheriff. And in District 3, which runs from London Bridge to Providence Road, incumbent Michael Berlucchi is leading with 53% of the vote. Berlucchi who has served on the city council since 2019, was ahead of his two challengers, teacher Christina Felder (18%) and firefighter Cleon Jones (28%). In District 5, which includes south end of the resort area, Oceana and Dam Neck, veteran council member Rosemary Wilson is in a close battle with L.G. Shaw. Both candidates have 49% of the vote. Wilson is a real estate agent who has served on the City Council since 2000. She’s currently vice mayor. Shaw is president of the surf shop Wave Riding Vehicles and founding member and past president of the ViBe Creative District business association. When new voting district maps were drawn in Virginia Beach and the 10-1 system was implemented in 2022, Wilson became the District 5 representative. This was the first time she ran for election in the district she represents. In District 7, auto sales consultant Cal “Cash” Jackson-Green was ahead of Mabinty Saffie Scott, who has served as a legislative aide to Wooten. Jackson-Green has 56% of the vote. The district includes the Salem and Centerville areas. In District 8, Taylor had two years left in his council term, so his resignation from the seat at the end of the year triggered a special election for the remainder of the term. Four candidates vied for the District 8 seat, which represents the Great Neck and Kings Grant area. Candidates included Cody Conner, Stacy Cummings, Phil Hines and Leland Jones. Cummings was in the lead with 51% of the vote as of late Tuesday. The winner will serve out the remainder of Taylor’s 2-year term.
Sheriff
Sheriff Rocky Holcomb, 56, had a near-sure lead over Virginia Beach businessman Aldo DiBelardino with 70% of the vote. “We have not officially called our race, and I do believe in miracles, but it will take a miracle to come and get the peoples’ sheriff right now because we’re up pretty daggum big,” said Holcomb at The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, where Virginia Beach Republicans gathered on election night. He thanked his supporters and friends. “I will always continue doing the work of the people.” Holcomb was sworn in as the city’s sheriff in September 2023 after Ken Stolle announced he would retire. Holcomb previously served as a state delegate and a Virginia Beach city councilman and is the first Virginia Beach sheriff to have worked as a deputy in the department. The winner will serve out the rest of Stolle’s term, which concludes at the end of 2025. Holcomb’s election comes as Virginia State Police is investigating a use-of-force incident at the Virginia Beach city jail that led to an inmate’s death. Five deputies involved in the incident were fired.
School Board
Virginia Beach Public Schools may get a slate of new board members. Six of the board’s 11 seats were on the ballot, with 12 candidates vying for a spot. Only two of the candidates were incumbents. The at-large seat is elected by voters across the city, while the district seats are elected only by residents of those districts. Districts 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7, as well as an at-large seat, were on the ballot. With only Election Day ballots reported, Rose Dwyer led District 1 with 52% of votes. Incumbent Jennifer Franklin had 47% of votes. Franklin was the incumbent of the previous District 2, before the city’s redistricting process. She has served on the board since 2021. The District 3 winner is Mark Bohenstiel, who was unopposed. Bohenstiel’s original opponent, John Sutton, withdrew from the race in September after Bohenstiel contested in court Sutton’s eligibility to run. The District 4 race was a special election to fill a seat that was left vacant after Staci Martin resigned in February. The winner will serve through December 2026. Three candidates were vying for the District 4 seat. As of late Tuesday, Alveta J. Green was in the lead with about 45%. Shannon L. Kendrick, who is currently on the board after she was appointed in March, has 42%. Anissa M. Bowden has 12%. In District 5, Melinda Rogers is in the lead with 54%. Opponent Vincent Smith has 45%. The District 7 winner appears to be Matthew “Matt” Cummings. Cummings had almost 62%. Opponent Noah Moreland received 38%. In the at-large race, Sharon Felton had a clear lead Tuesday night. Felton had nearly 60%. Opponent Monty Ashliman Jr. received 39%. The races are nonpartisan, but the Republican Party of Virginia Beach threw its weight behind Dwyer, Bohenstiel, Kendrick, Smith, Moreland and Ashliman. Rogers, Cummings, Felton and Green had the support of Virginia Beach Democrats.
