Tonight’s election results appear to keep the city of Radford’s treasurer’s office in the hands of Democrats, with a Republican holding the advantage in the commissioner of revenue race.
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But as of 10 p.m., there was only a 57-vote margin between Republican commissioner candidate Angel Turpin and Democrat Kelsey Renee Marletta — and it was possible that not all mailed absentee ballots had been counted yet.
Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day, but they can arrive at the registrar’s office as late as noon on the third day after the election.
Turpin, a 27-year deputy clerk in the Radford circuit court clerk’s office, had 2,172 votes to 2,115 for Marletta, a Radford University adjunct professor and former city schools employee.
During her campaign, Marletta expressed concerns about budget cuts and pledged to work to retain the current commissioner’s office staff. Turpin said if elected, she intends to make sure the office collaborates closely with other city government offices, businesses, real estate professionals and developers.
In the treasurer’s race, Democrat Joy Morrison, a human resources and payroll manager for a national company, had 2,340 votes to 2,000 for Republican Tracy A. Trump, the current deputy treasurer, who has worked in that office for more than 30 years. Again, it was possible that not all mailed absentee ballots had been counted.
In an email, Morrison wrote that she believes she has won, but will wait for the final results because of votes coming from university students. “I won’t make an official post until tomorrow at least.”
During her campaign, Morrison said Radford’s biggest challenge is the city’s debt and a perceived lack of transparency regarding city finances. She pledged to promote better communication regarding city financial matters and to make such information more accessible to residents.
Trump identified the treasurer’s office’s biggest challenge as issues with software and information technology support, noting that improvements are in the works.
As of 10 p.m., Turpin, Marletta and Trump had not responded to requests for comment.
Both Democratic incumbents, Treasurer Janet Jones and Commissioner Cathy Flinchum, plan to retire at the end of the year.
Neither office has a direct influence on major financial decisions made by the city council earlier this year, including a combination of tax increases and budget cuts to help overcome a financial shortfall. Reportedly, Radford owed more than $6 million to American Electric Power and still owed $4 million, plus interest, on a 2023 loan to ease cash flow problems.