Brennan takes Nelson supervisor’s seat

In the only local contested race in Nelson County, Democratic incumbent Connie Brennan won the Central District seat on the Nelson County Board of Supervisors.

“I’m grateful for the confidence of my constituents and I look forward to another four years of trying to make Nelson County the best place it could be,” Brennan said after winning her third term last week.

Of the 2,669 active registered voters in the Central District of Nelson, 926 voted for Brennan and 464 voted for her opponent, Republican-backed E. “Dudley” Campbell, of Roseland.

Five other seats up for election were uncontested.

Tommy Harvey, of Afton, was re-elected for the Board of Supervisors seat in the North District with 712 votes and Allen Hale, of Shipman, was re-elected for the East District seat on the Board of Supervisors with 654 votes.

Three seats on the Nelson County School Board were vacated this year. Mary S. Cunningham, of Afton, won the North District seat, Amy Clark Snapp, of Schuyler, won the East District seat and Margaret Clair, of Faber, won the Central District seat.

Nelson voters also chose Watkins M. Abbitt Jr., who ran unopposed, for the House of Delegates.

Republican Ken T. Cuccinelli II beat Democrat Stephen Shannon by 254 votes for attorney general, Republican Bob McDonnell beat Democrat Creigh Deeds by 369 votes for governor and Republican William T. Bolling beat Democrat Jody Wagner for lieutenant governor by 184 votes.

Fewer Nelson County voters turned out on Election Day this year, compared to last year’s record-setting balloting, but Nelson County General Registrar Jaqueline Clark said the lower turnout was expected.

Of the 10,420 active voters in the county, 47 percent, or 4,994, voted.

“That’s good,” Clark said. “There were predictions of about a 45 percent turn out for the state and we did a little better than that.”

The number of registered voters is down slightly from last year as well. In 2008, Nelson County boasted 10,718 registered voters and in 2009, that number has dropped to 10,582.

Nelson County is one of 16 localities in Virginia this year that failed to meet the Virginia State Board of Election’s deadline to mail out absentee ballots for military and overseas voters.

Clark said a name change for her office might have been the reason that she didn’t hear of the 11 absentee ballot applications until late September.

In January, Clark took over the position from then-Registrar Lisa Wooten. In March, she legally changed her last name and updated it in the election agency’s system, but she said she only recently learned she wasn’t on the daily e-mail list of approved absentee ballot applications.

Clark said two of the 11 absentee ballot applications that were late being mailed out were returned in person at the polls on Nov. 3, and both individuals, who are no longer in the military, voted by provisional ballot. The State Elections Board is investigating why the local election offices, out of the 134 cities and counties, missed the Sept. 18 deadline.

Late absentee ballots also were reported in the cities of Colonial Heights, Manassas, Poquoson, Richmond, Suffolk and Williamsburg and in the counties of Caroline, Greene, Essex, Northumberland, Montgomery, Richmond, Shenandoah, Smyth and Westmoreland.