Results of the June 2023 primary elections have been finalized. And while the winners are preparing for the November 7 general election, the defeated candidates are thinking about next steps.
The most competitive primary race was between state Sen. Creigh Deeds and House of Delegates Rep. Sally Hudson for the newly redrawn Senate District 11. Hudson, who lost by only 519 votes to the longtime incumbent, says she remains optimistic about Virginia’s future.
“Though we came up short in our election, I’m thrilled by the results statewide,” Hudson says. “The first fair maps in Virginia history made competitive elections possible across the commonwealth, and a new wave of Virginia leaders is now headed to the Senate. We’ll all be better served by the diverse range of perspectives they’re bringing to Richmond.”
Hudson will leave office at the end of her current term, but she’s not bowing out of Charlottesville politics. “I’m looking forward to finishing out my term as delegate and then finding my next call to service,” she says. “There’s no shortage of good work to be done, and our community is blessed with energetic leaders digging in on every front.”
In the House of Delegates District 54 race, newcomer Katrina Callsen came out ahead of former Charlottesville mayor Dave Norris and former Police Civilian Oversight Board chair Bellamy Brown.
While he believes there is still work to be done, Norris is returning to retirement following his defeat in the primary. “I came out of political retirement to run for office in large part because my family, and countless other families both locally and statewide, have been devastated by the abject failures of Virginia’s mental health system, and I wanted to be part of fixing that,” he says. “I am happily now re-retired from politics but hopefully my candidacy helped to shed at least a little light on the need for a dramatic overhaul of that seriously broken system.”
Unlike Norris, Brown is not leaving Charlottesville politics following the June 20 election. On top of campaigning in other key Virginia races this November, he’s already looking toward the 2025 primary elections, when he plans to run again.
“I think the Black community is still not fully represented, so I want to continue to amplify that work,” he says. “I’m gonna do that work, even if I’m not in the General Assembly at this point, and that’s to continue to emphasize public safety and mitigating against gun violence, to do the best that we can to find areas to work on advancing women’s reproductive rights, and championing school funding and supporting our teachers.”
In District 55, residents of Albemarle, Louisa, and Fluvanna elected Amy Laufer over Kellen Squire. After a contentious campaign, Squire does not plan to make another run.
“My plan was only to run, at max, until the next redistricting cycle, and then get out of the way for the next generation,” says Squire. “I gave it a shot—the most individual donations in primary history, never lied, never went negative—and thanks to the folks who stood with us we did better in the face of weaponized disinformation than anyone could’ve expected.”
Squire also experienced some personal hardships during the campaign, including a cancer diagnosis. “I spent a good chunk of time [in] April discussing with both the local party and state party in Richmond that I might have to bow out and endorse my opponent after my cancer diagnosis because of the very real risk I might need to get lymph nodes taken out and start on chemotherapy,” he says.
Now that the election is over, Squire is celebrating both his campaign and being cancer free. “I have no regrets and no heartburn at all,” he says. “I appreciate everyone’s support, particularly the elected officials and activists who reached out after the election. I think the future belongs to folks like Natalie Oschrin, Mike Pruitt, Jerrod Smith, and other up-and-comers like them.”
In the city, incumbents Michael Payne and Mayor Lloyd Snook retained their seats on council. Competition for the third City Council seat was fierce, with Orschrin beating Dashad Cooper and Bob Fenwick. Neither Cooper nor Fenwick responded to a request for comment by press time.
By the numbers
Democrats turned out in droves for the primaries, with several close races.
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 11
Creigh Deeds 50.97 percent
Sally Hudson 49.03 percent
HOUSE OF DELEGATES DISTRICT 54
Katrina Callsen 46.92 percent
Dave Norris 33.90 percent
Bellamy Brown 19.18 percent
HOUSE OF DELEGATES DISTRICT 55
Amy Laufer 69.70 percent
Kellen Squire 30.30 percent
CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL
Natalie Oschrin 26.42 percent
Michael Payne 25.29 percent
Lloyd Snook 23.16 percent
Dashad Cooper 15.35 percent
Bob Fenwick 9.78 percent