With 46 votes separating the Blacksburg mayor candidates, the race is likely to come down to absentee and provisional ballots.
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On Tuesday evening, Peter Macedo, a political newcomer and the owner of Blacksburg Bagels, had a slight lead over Michael Sutphin, the town’s vice mayor, who has been on the town council since 2012. They are running to replace Leslie Hager-Smith, who has held the office since 2018 and did not seek re-election.
“It’s been so long since we’ve had viable choices in what people can get behind,” Macedo said Tuesday night. “I think a close race really shows there are choices.”
Sutphin texted Cardinal News that he was waiting until provisional ballots are counted before releasing a statement on the results, indicating that he may request a recount.
Of Blacksburg’s 24,000 registered voters, about 40% voted in the mayor’s race.
In the town council race, two incumbents, Susan Anderson and Lauren Colliver, will return, along with newcomer Darryl Campbell. During their campaigns, each cited housing as Blacksburg’s biggest challenge.
Anderson, a retired Virginia Tech professor, will return for her sixth term; she was first elected in 2006 and has served four terms as vice mayor.
“I’m grateful to the residents of Blacksburg for having confidence in me to be a good steward of Blacksburg,” Anderson said. “I’m looking forward to continuing our town council’s work making Blacksburg the best it can be.”
Colliver was first elected in 2017 and is a small business owner who moved to Blacksburg in 2009. Campbell is a Virginia Tech graduate and serves on the United Campus Workers chapter at Virginia Tech.
They defeated Joel Goodhart and James Harder. Town council member Susan Mattingly’s term expires this year, and she did not seek re-election.