LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - Democrats won all three open at-large seats on the Lynchburg City Council, changing the political makeup of the council. After Republicans took a 6-1 majority in 2023, Democrats will now hold a 4-3 advantage.
The council members-elect, Christina Delzingaro, Nat Marshall and Dave Henderson, earned more total votes than the five Republicans in the race. They celebrated the win and described their plans for the city.
“This success belongs to every single person who believes in a Lynchburg where every voice matters, every neighborhood matters, and everyone has a place at the table,” Delzingaro said.
Five Republicans ran for council because a firehouse primary back in May was nullified. Instead of one Republican ticket, there were two, which split the party’s vote.
Dr. David Richards, a University of Lynchburg political science professor, said the divided vote was one reason for the Democratic success, but not the only one.
“The Democrats represented unity,” Richards said. “They represented sort of a collective calmness, if you will. And I think people responded to that. They were able to get out the vote. The city voted for both Perriello and Warner. And so I think the Democrats turned out in large numbers.”
The new members will be sworn in in January. Between now and then, they plan to attend meetings and hold conversations with city staff. Building better relationships with staff and working more closely alongside them is among their priorities.
Marshall described his approach to the transition.
“Collaboration is my big thing,” Marshall said. “Certainly we want to make sure that we are doing the things that are necessary, coming with a plan so we are ready to go come January 2nd.”
The members-elect hope to use resources the city already has.
“We have a lot of really smart, dedicated people who have served in governmental roles, both elected and non-elected in our community,” Delzingaro said.
The members-elect also named specific issues in city hall and beyond it.
“We really need to focus on what is happening in our schools,” Delzingaro said. “How can we support our city school system to have better outcomes for our children and support our teachers and educators? I think that’s huge.”
Henderson said the council’s relationship with city staff is a primary concern.
“We have an opportunity to articulate what we’re looking for from our city staff and leadership,” Henderson said. “Fine-tuning that and making sure we’re clear on the direction we want to go as one of our primary opportunities coming into this role.”
Sterling Wilder, the council’s only current Democrat, also spoke about the results.
“I can leave a city council meeting not crying because of the pain, but crying because I’m excited about the work we’re doing for the people in our community. It’s a different level,” Wilder said.
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