Is Waynesboro's electorate purpling?

Waynesboro's electorate may be changing after years of population growth. Despite having the lowest voter turnout of localities in the area, that turnout showed signs of gradual purpling this past Election Day.

Waynesboro had the lowest voter turnout between Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County this past Tuesday, with 68% of its registered voters casting ballots.

Meanwhile, Augusta County led the way with 76% of its registered voters casting ballots.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Hung Cao lost his bid to replace incumbent Democrat Tim Kaine, but won just more than 100 more votes than Kaine in Waynesboro.

Unsurprisingly, incumbent Republican Rep. Ben Cline won Waynesboro with 54% of the vote; Cline handily won the 6th Congressional District which runs up and down the Shenandoah Valley. But Democratic challenger Ken Mitchell had a strong showing, with 44% of the vote.

Republican Donald Trump earned nearly 52% of the vote in Waynesboro, more than the 46.6% he won statewide but still below the 60-plus percent he earned in other valley localities.

Could Waynesboro be turning purple?

"We do have a lot of new people in the city with the new developments. This could speak to the face of Waynesboro changing,'' Waynesboro Vice Mayor Jim Wood, also the chairman of the Waynesboro Republican Committee, told The News Virginian.

Wood said he anticipated voter turnout to be in the high 70s, but he was not disappointed.

"It was a good turnout," he said.

Ward B City Councilman Terry Short, an independent who earned a third term in office Tuesday after defeating Republican Will Flory by more than 400 votes, said he was shocked by the lower voter turnout, specifically in the city's Ward A district.

Independent candidate Lorie Strother defeated Republican David Goetze to win the council seat there, but only by 213 votes. Only 1,713 votes were cast in the ward, where nearly 3,500 voters are registered.

"In Ward A, I know a lot of folks who dedicated a lot of time to encourage people to vote,'' said Short.

Strother told The News Virginian Tuesday that she had sent hundreds of text messages to Ward A voters to get them to the polls.

Still, the turnout was better than it would have been had city elections not been moved from May to November.

The last city elections held in May took place in 2020. At the time, city elections only ever managed to attract voters in the low double digits.

"I was an advocate for moving the elections,'' said Short.

Short said that not only is voting a civic responsibility, but a way of honoring those who fought in wars to preserve American rights and freedoms.

Wood agreed, saying it's the duty of all eligible citizens to vote.

"I don't understand why it isn't 100% all the time,'' he said.

Bob Stuart (540) 932-3562

on Twitter

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

News Reporter