The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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Charles Poindexter |
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
By JOEL TURNER - Staff Writer
Ninth District Del. Charles Poindexter won a second term in the House of Delegates Tuesday, as he defeated Sherman Witcher by a 4-1 margin.
With 22 of Franklin County's 24 precincts reporting Tuesday night, Poindexter had received more than 10,599 votes in the county, and Witcher had received 2,626, based on the unofficial results.
Poindexter, a Republican, also won easily in Floyd and Pittsylvania counties.
With 38 of the 40 precincts in the Ninth District reporting, Poindexter had received 15,774 votes and Witcher had received 4,132.
The Ninth House district includes Franklin County, Floyd County and part of Pittsylvania County.
Witcher ran as the Independent Green party candidate.
Unlike the race for the Ninth District two years ago, this year's campaign was quiet with no joint appearances or debates between the candidates.
Poindexter won the House seat two years ago in one
of the most fiercely contested and expensive House of Delegates contests in Western Virginia.
In 2007, Poindexter defeated Democrat Eric Ferguson by 549 votes. Jerry Boothe, who ran as an independent, ran third.
The three candidates battled to succeed retiring Del. Allen Dudley, a Republican who had held the seat for 14 years.
During this year's campaign, Poindexter focused on his rural, conservative background. He promised to stand up for conservative values. He dotted Franklin County with large and small campaign signs.
The political landscape was different this year.
Poindexter ran as the incumbent, having built up a name identity in the House district during the past two years.
This year, he faced only one opponent. No Democrat filed to seek the party's nomination to run against Poindexter because party leaders thought Poindexter would be hard to beat.
This year, Poindexter was endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) for re-election, as well as the Family Foundation, Virginia Society for Human Life, Virginia Farm Bureau AgPAC, National Federation of Independent Business, VA SAFE Trust, Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors and Virginia Association of Realtors.
Witcher did not campaign publicly, and he did not have campaign advertisements or signs.
Witcher ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate two years ago against State Sen. Robert Hurt (R-Chatham).
With little campaign funds, little political experience and no support from a political party, Witcher won 25 percent of the vote in his 2007 race against Hurt for the 19th District seat in the Virginia Senate. Witcher received 9,350 votes. |
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