Incumbents win City Council races; Perrow takes Ward IV seat

By Alicia Petska

Published: May 6, 2008

Lynchburg voters endorsed their present leadership on City Council on Tuesday, re-electing three incumbents and choosing one newcomer who was heavily backed by a departing councilman.

Ceasor Johnson of Ward II and Jeff Helgeson of Ward III both handily won what will be their second terms in office. Johnson won his ward by 464 votes or 70 percentage points. Helgeson won by 410 votes or 30 points.

Victory did not come as easily within Wards I and IV.

Mike Gillette, the Ward I incumbent, secured re-election by 181 votes or 6 percentage points.

Challenger Jim Martin — who ran on a business-minded platform that called for more civility between council members — came in a close second. He garnered 41 percent of the vote to Gillette’s more than 47 percent.

Tom Shahady, the race’s pro-environment candidate, finished third with more than 11 percent support from voters.

In Ward IV, the only contest to have no running incumbent, candidate Turner Perrow edged into office by just 32 votes — less than 2 percent of all ballots cast there Tuesday.

“A lot of people have said they had two good choices this year; that either one of us would do well,” Perrow said by phone after the results were in. “I think the vote reflects that.”

Perrow, who was recruited and supported by retiring Ward IV Councilman Joe Seiffert, was opposed in the election by Marie Waller, a longtime educator well known within the community.

“I couldn’t ask for it to be much closer,” Waller said Tuesday night.

She added she had no regrets about running, noting the turnout in Ward IV was significantly higher than it had been during the 2004 election, when the district had an uncontested City Council race.

“That’s my objective — to get people involved in the political process,” Waller, a retired government teacher, explained. “I started from nowhere and think I accomplished a lot, so I feel good.”

Perrow, an engineer who touted the strength of his professional background, said he’d be gearing up for his transition to office between now and July 1, when his term will formally start.

“It’s an exciting feeling,” he said. “It’s a little bit of shock and disbelief. A lot of relief that we’re finished with the (campaign) process. And an anxiousness to get started.”

Gillette, who’s entering his second term in office, said he’s learned some things from his challengers and will adopt some of their ideas as he moves ahead.

“It was a close race,” he said. “I respect both my opponents. … I hope I can take on some of their ideas as we try to make a better four years coming than the four years that have passed.”

He pointed to Shahady’s emphasis on the environment as one example, saying that will be an important issue as development continues in the city.

Martin, who obliquely criticized Gillette’s attitude on council throughout the election season, said he was encouraged to see a significant portion of the voters did favor a change.

“It wasn’t as easy for Mike this time,” he said, adding he hoped the councilman would take note.

Specifically, he said he hoped Gillette would work more cooperatively with his fellow office holders and lessen the polarization on council. He also hoped Gillette would give more weight to citizen opinion and recommendations from bodies such as the planning commission, which has been overruled on several development petitions in recent months.

“I have no regrets whatsoever,” he concluded. “I’ve met a lot of great people I wouldn’t have met otherwise and learned more about city politics. I regret I did not win, but I definitely don’t regret running.”

A message left for Shahady late Tuesday was not immediately returned.