Lynchburg community leaders Christina Delzingaro, Dave Henderson and Nathaniel “Nat” X. Marshall on Tuesday announced they will run as Democratic candidates for the city council seats that are up for grabs this November.
The Lynchburg City Council, currently with a 6-1 Republican majority, consists of three at-large representatives and four ward representatives. The at-large positions, currently held by Republican Mayor Larry Taylor and Republican council members Marty Misjuns and Stephanie Reed, will be on the ballot this year.
The Lynchburg Republican City Committee has not yet announced its candidates or nomination process for the open at-large seats. If the party has more than three candidates seeking the nomination, it’ll likely hold a primary.
Council member Sterling Wilder, the lone Democrat on the dais, said he’s excited to watch this new chapter unfold.
“Now is a time of urgency, more of a time than ever, where we as a community have to pull together to bring civility back to Lynchburg City Council,” he said to a crowd of dozens at the candidates’ press conference at Monument Terrace. “I need some support on city council. … I have left so many meetings with tears in my eyes because of the chaos that has gone on on city council.”
Republican Vice Mayor Curt Diemer has publicly countered that narrative, writing in a Cardinal News opinion column that “accountability is not chaos.” But Democratic candidates for the city council said Tuesday that chaos rules the current dais — and is one of the factors that drove them to step up to run. New council members could change the tone in city hall and deliver “steady, compassionate, thoughtful leadership,” as Delzingaro describes it, to focus on long-term goals such as supporting schools and encouraging economic development.
Meet the candidates
Delzingaro currently serves as the chief executive officer of Community Access Network, a nonprofit that provides primary care and wellness services to tens of thousands of patients each year regardless of their income or insurance status. She oversees a $16 million budget and a staff of 75. Since she helped to found the organization in 2018, she’s worked with local governments, healthcare providers, nonprofit partners and residents to navigate the intersection of community resources and community needs.
“We did this by joining together and listening. Listening to people’s stories, their concerns, their hopes and their ideas — that’s where real change happens, and that’s where I’ve seen the greatest amount of success in my career,” she said, referencing Community Access Network. “And I’m looking forward to bringing that spirit of cooperation, collaboration and listening to city council.”
Delzingaro said at the press conference that she first “fell in love with Lynchburg” in 1980 when she attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and got to know the local business community by working in restaurants near campus. She moved back to the Hill City about 13 years ago, and is making it her own now as she restores a historic house in the Garland Hill neighborhood.
Henderson, a Lynchburg native and local business owner, is also a Democratic candidate for city council. He opened the downtown restaurant The Water Dog in 2016 and since then has helped to grow multiple businesses that together employ more than 100 people and contribute to the resurgence of downtown. He said at Tuesday’s press conference that weathering the COVID-19 pandemic and other economic challenges as a small business owner has taught him the importance of community collaboration.
“We survived and grew because of the strength of this community and because, at that moment, city council understood something important: When the city works with its people, Lynchburg moves forward,” he said, referencing the pandemic. “Today, I’m concerned we’ve lost sight of that. Instead of collaboration, we see infighting. Instead of leadership, we see name-calling, bullying and grand-standing. Dysfunction.”
Henderson is a Brookville High School alum who worked across the country in corporate finance before returning to the Hill City to set down roots about a decade ago. He said he strives to give back to the community that raised him and is now raising his two children; he leads Central Virginia United Soccer as its president, Free Clinic of Central Virginia as its secretary, and the city’s planning commission as its vice chair.
Marshall, who recently retired from a 40-year career at BWXT, is the third Democratic candidate for the Lynchburg City Council. At the nuclear engineering firm, his roles revolved around strategic planning, human resource management and community partnerships. One of the most rewarding parts of the job, he said at Tuesday’s press conference, was connecting with students and helping them prepare for jobs in the engineering industry.
Marshall has called Central Virginia home his entire life and has given back by serving on numerous local boards including those of Big Brothers Big Sisters, United Way, the University of Lynchburg and Johnson Health Center. He’s extended his leadership commonwealth-wide in roles on the State Board for Community Colleges and workforce development boards. And, as a founding member of the Lynchburg Area Youth Sports Initiative, he said he collaborates with about 20 local nonprofits and organizations to ensure children have accessible ways to stay active.
Now, after being retired for four months, he said he’s ready for his next step of community involvement.
“My goals are simple: Let’s make education our number one priority. Let’s bring civility back to our meetings,” Marshall said, punctuated by cheers from a crowd of supporters holding “Make City Council Boring Again” signs.
Tuesday’s press conference was hosted by Lynchburg Better Together, a volunteer initiative that supports local Democratic candidates. Full candidate biographies and future campaign events can be found on the organization’s website.