Roanoke Democrats have nominated Phazhon Nash, Terry McGuire and Ben Woods for their November ticket for three seats on the city council.
Nash, the top vote-getter, picked up 2,646 votes in Tuesday’s primary, followed by McGuire with 2,439 and Woods with 1,615, according to unofficial numbers from the Virginia Department of Elections.
“For someone to vote means they have trust and faith in you,” Nash said Tuesday night. “I’m very appreciative and I take that weight very seriously. I look forward to November, to go on and finish the deal.”
A fourth candidate, Jamaal Jackson, received 1,143 votes despite having unofficially dropped out of the race on June 3. While he announced his withdrawal on social media, he had not notified the city registrar’s office, and so his name remained on the ballot.
The three Democratic candidates will face Republican nominees Nick Hagen and Jim Garrett in November. Also on the ballot will be two independent candidates, according to reporting in The Roanoke Times: Evelyn Powers, the city treasurer, and attorney Cathy Reynolds.
All three Democrats oppose commercial development of the Evans Spring property near Interstate 581, and all three cited crime rates, homelessness and education funding as important issues in the city.
Nash, 24, said during his campaign that he was excited to be the youngest candidate in the race. He grew up in Roanoke before going to George Mason University, and he works as an operations consultant at Carilion Clinic.
He said he’s passionate about public health, and believes it to be a common denominator in many city issues. Investing in community centers and creating safe spaces can reduce violent crime, he said, and he supports investments in improving community health-driven approaches to tackle problems like gun violence.
He said he believes that commercial development of the Evans Spring property would be viewed by Black Roanokers similarly to the urban renewal projects of the 1950s through the 1970s that affected his own family.
McGuire, 42, is a Virginia Tech graduate who worked in environmental policy in Washington, D.C. He said he values the experiences of those with a working-class background, and believes his job history will serve him well on council.
He said he believes improving the local economy is a key issue in this year’s council race, and hopes to see more high-quality jobs in the area to support long-term residents.
McGuire, who unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary in 2022, has nearly two decades of experience as a political and community organizer. To curb violence in Roanoke, he said he supports more programs and safe places for youths, and the restoration of funding for the parks and recreation budget.
Woods, 32, said he felt compelled to run for the city council after Roanoke homeowners started seeing higher home prices the past couple of years. He said he wants to place a moratorium on Roanoke’s annual assessments, and for budget surpluses to be returned to residents.
He has a degree from Old Dominion University, and he said he began working in politics after facing retaliation for questioning work hours and proposing unionizing at former jobs. He owns High Top Consulting, which worked on local political campaigns, many of which are for Black Democratic candidates. He said this experience helps him understand the concerns of small-business owners.
Jackson, 42, is a minister and founder of ReFreshing Church who unofficially dropped out of the race after early voting had already begun. An ongoing investigation has raised questions about the validity of the signatures that were obtained by his campaign. He also owes over $1,000 in campaign fines and penalties from a previous council run in 2022 — which would have kept him from holding office, had he received the votes.
