Republican-endorsed candidates sweep Town election with only provisional-mail in ballots to be counted

On a night of high suspense and unresolved anxiety on the national election front, four candidates endorsed by the Warren County Republican Committee appear to have swept to victory in the Town of Front Royal mayoral and council election.

Those candidates included current Councilman Chris Holloway for mayor with a 2857-2287 (46%-37%) margin over Royal Examiner publisher Mike McCool. Third mayoral candidate on the ballot, new town and county resident James Favors’ 587 votes (10%), and Front Royal Unites write-in candidate Samuel Porter’s estimated 418 votes (7%) totaled 1,005 votes compared to Holloway’s 570 vote margin over McCool. But our publisher’s potential of grabbing the necessary votes to turn the tide in a two-way race is water under the electoral bridge of what might have been without the crowded field.

Councilman Chris Holloway is now poised to become mayor. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

Vying for the three council seats up for grabs, Lori Athey Cockrell (3,462 votes, 23%), Joseph McFadden (2,579 votes, 17%) and former Trump Administration Director of Refugee Resettlement Scott Lloyd (2,084, 14%) led the field of eight candidates.

Lloyd holds a 284-vote margin over fourth place Eugene Tewalt (1800 votes, 12%), Front Royal’s current mayor, with only provisional/mail in ballots to be counted.

However, contacted election night, former county Republican Committee Chairman Steve Kurtz expressed some concern that those provisional votes estimated at over a thousand, perhaps even two thousand, to be counted could present a threat to Lloyd’s hold on third place. That provisional/mail-in ballot total will be factored into the election totals Friday.

Above, Chris Lloyd has a 284-vote lead over Mayor Gene Tewalt, below, for the third council seat with between a thousand and two thousand provisional/mail-in ballots to be counted by Friday. Pictured next to Lloyd at the Chamber Candidates Forum is second-place finisher Joe McFadden.

The council seats up for election this year were Cockrell’s appointed seat replacing Tewalt when he was elected mayor last year in a special election race against ex-mayor Hollis Tharpe; Vice-Mayor Bill Sealock who did not seek re-election; and Jacob Meza who also did not run to retain his seat.

Of what on Tuesday night appeared to be a Republican sweep maintain the committee’s five-seat majority hold on council, Kurtz told this reporter, “I know you’re not going to want to hear this, but I credit it to Donald Trump. He is not a traditional politician – this is a movement,” Kurtz said, pointing to early results indicating Trump may take Virginia, which has gone blue for both Barack Obama twice and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

The ’Trump Train’ truck was on a roll Tuesday, seen here leaving the 15th Street voting precinct site.

“I am proud of all our candidates who did a good job getting out knocking on doors. I think we had the best slate of candidates in a long time. I’m excited for the Town moving forward,” now Republican State Committee member Kurtz concluded.

Other council candidate totals were Betty Showers (1706, 11%), Darryl Merchant (1307, 9%), Josh Ingram (1066 – but this wasn’t the Battle of Hastings, Josh, 7%), and Bruce Rappaport (1028, 7%).

Also in the non-binding referendum on removal or leaving the Confederate Soldier statue on the Warren County Courthouse lawn, leaving it there won by a 15,804-4,879 or 76%-24% margin.

The public consensus in a non-binding referendum on the Confederate soldiers statue on the courthouse lawn was overwhelming to leave it where it has stood since 1911.

Royal Examiner will explore this year’s election results and consequences, seeking comment from winners and losers, as we move toward finalization of those results Friday.

Lori Athey Cockrell was the top council vote getter in retaining her appointed seat.

Above, the 15th Street precinct site, with a purple banner to right identifying a nearby service agency. Anybody need some ‘Special Services’ after Tuesday’s election results?

The Warren County Government Center voting sight, with perhaps oddly, Republicans set up to the left and Democrats to the right – but if you’re coming out of the government center, that alignment is reversed.

Citizens performing their Constitutional right to vote for their local, state and national leadership, here at the WCGC.

Warren County’s State Senator Mark Obenshain mingles at the Republican table with voters, here with local activist Melanie Salins. More on Obenshain’s visit in coming days.