A crowded lineup of Democratic candidates will be whittled down today as voters go to the polls to select their party’s nominees for key positions in Charlottesville government.
The Democratic firehouse primary, or unassembled caucus, will take place today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Burley Middle School on Rose Hill Drive. The primary is open to registered city voters willing to sign a Democratic declaration form.
Three nominees will emerge from the seven candidates running for City Council, and one nominee will be chosen out of three candidates for clerk of Charlottesville Circuit Court.
Incumbent Councilor Satyendra Huja, gym owner James Halfaday, architect and city School Board member Kathy Galvin, developer and homebuilder Paul Beyer, former School Board chairwoman and dredging activist Dede Smith, University of Virginia media-relations writer Brevy Cannon and teacher and School Board member Colette Blount are competing for three City Council nominations up for grabs this year.
Councilors David Brown and Holly Edwards are not seeking re-election this year, which makes Huja the only incumbent and ensures the council will have at least two new members come January. Mayor Dave Norris and Councilor Kristin Szakos are not up for re-election until 2013.
The three Democratic nominees will eventually face off against at least five independent candidates in the Nov. 8 general election.
In the clerk’s race, longtime incumbent Paul C. Garrett has drawn two challengers: city School Board member and assistant public defender Llezelle Dugger and deputy clerk for Albemarle County Circuit Court Pam Melampy.
No non-Democratic candidates have publicly declared for the clerk’s office.
Many expect today’s voting turnout to approach or exceed record levels due to a high level of public interest and the long list of candidates.
Voters will be allowed to rank their preferred candidates, and an instant runoff system will be used to ensure that all winners are supported by a majority of those casting ballots.
It’s unclear when the first results will be announced because the timing depends on how many ballots are cast and how many rounds of counting are needed, but party officials have estimated that results might not come until 10 p.m.
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