Recently, a friend has asked me to give them my recommendations on the candidates on the ballot this year and how I would vote. Although I never endorse an individual candidate, this is how I see these contests playing out and who I feel is the most qualified for the position they are running for:
President and Vice-President:
Everyone should know who I am voting for in this contest. President Trump was the most competent president ever since Ronald Reagan. I also believe that J. D. Vance has all the qualities one would look for in a Vice-Presidential candidate.
- S. House of Representatives:
The choice here is Russel Fry. He is completing his first term in the house, and even though he has been a little shaky on some of his votes, he still is on the conservative side of the scale. On a side note, though, Mal Hyman attended our Town Hall meeting and was an interesting candidate. He did not back away from my question, “What is a Fair Share?” Nice man, wrong political philosophy.
State Senate, District 27
Allen Blackmon is the choice here. I have been working with Allen since he declared for the office, and he will bring an actual conservative viewpoint to the state senate if he is elected. On a personal note, his opponent, Yokima Cureton, attended our town hall meeting, and I was impressed by her intellect and position on education. She is a person I do believe we could work with if, for some reason, she was elected. Once again, I am impressed with Democrats who will sit down with us and have informative discussions on the issues.
State House of Representatives, District 53
There is only one choice here, and that is Richie Yow. I hope that when he assumes his new committee assignment, he will show a little more tendency to vote along the lines of the Freedom Caucus in the state house, but no matter what, he is the man. End discussion.
Solicitor Circuit 4
Of all the contests, this is the one that has me torn apart. This office should be a non-partisan race since anything the officeholder does will not directly affect you, your family, or your wallet. This position is that of a lawyer who prosecutes criminals, nothing else. Mike Burch, the Republican, comes from a family that holds numerous positions in government. I do not favor family dynasties. Mike is a good man, but he had trouble with one of my concerns: how you treat first-time offenders who commit non-violent crimes. I favor an intervention process requiring restitution and community service in exchange for expunging their criminal record. The more we keep young people out of the legal system, the more favorable it is for them to become productive members of society. Mike avoided the question altogether. Monty Bell, his democrat opponent, who, by the way, attended our Town Hall, felt that this issue should be one of the lynchpins of his administration. He expressed my concern about youth crime and that young people should be given a second chance rather than having a stupid moment affect the rest of their lives. I will vote for Mike Burch just because he is the Republican in the race, but if Monty Bell wins, we all will win too.
Clerk of the Court, Coroner, Auditor, and County Treasurer are all uncontested races. If you don’t like the person, write in your name.
County Council Races are:
Chesterfield County Council District 1
- Sherby Blakeney (D)
- Brandon Price (R)
Chesterfield County Council District 5
- Eddie Kirkley (R)
Chesterfield County Council District 6
- Hattie Burns (D)
- Gilbert King (R)
Chesterfield County Council District 7
- Todd Smallwood (R)
Chesterfield County Council District 9
- Johnnie McLendon (D)
In the two contested races, the choices are Brandon Price and Gilbert King. On a personal note, it is funny that since 2020, Chesterfield County has contested races between the two parties. I wonder why?
School Board Races are:
Chesterfield County School District, District 4
- Eric Kuhn (Nonpartisan)
Chesterfield County School District, District 5
- Kalie Huggins Blackwell (Nonpartisan)
- Jerry Sullivan (Nonpartisan)
Chesterfield County School District, District 6
- Lou Esther Brown (Nonpartisan)
- James N. Sweeney (Nonpartisan)
Chesterfield County School District, District 7
- Scott Adams (Nonpartisan)
- Earl Goldsberry Jr. (Nonpartisan)
- Robert Teal (Nonpartisan)
Chesterfield County School District, District 8
- Bob Robeson (Nonpartisan)
I am going to make this as easy as I can. If you vote in District 6 or District 8, DO NOT vote for James N. Sweeney or Robert Teal. These two are board members and have watched as the school system has deteriorated so that only 30% of the graduate students are proficient in math and English. This is unacceptable and should not be rewarded by giving them your vote. The others are all first-time candidates for the school board and represent the best chance we have of getting board members who will force positive changes in the school system. We will all have to make sure that we make it clear that we expect changes if they are elected, and they must hire people to make that happen. We will accept nothing less.
Well, friends, that is my analysis of the upcoming election. Now, you have a job to do: get to the polls and vote for who you think will best represent your values and make your life better. I hope you will see things my way, but the real reason for this exercise is to show you how important this election is and why you are an integral part of it. Now get off your butt and vote!