Four Forums Will Give Voters the Opportunity to Hear from Candidates

[Danville, VA] – The Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce will host a series of free events for the public featuring candidates for offices in Pittsylvania County. The format will feature three minutes of comments by each candidate.

Only candidates in contested elections will speak at each event. The six candidates for Clerk of Court office are invited to offer comments at all forums. Candidates in contested elections for Board of Supervisors and School Board are invited to speak at the forum closest to their magisterial district or jurisdiction.

Clerk of Court is the only contested election for constitutional officers in Pittsylvania County this year.  Candidates are Heidi Jones, Jarrett Stone, Jennifer Wyatt, Karen Dixon, Seth Scarce, and “Angie” Reece Harris.

Candidates running for seats on the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors (by district):

• Bannister: Kathy Ramsey, Kell Stone Sr., Robert Tucker Jr.*
• Chatham-Blairs: Kenneth Bowman, R. Frank Fox Jr., Joshua Jennings
• Dan River: Nancy Eanes*, Eddie Hite Jr.
• Staunton River: Debra Davis, Timothy Dudley*
• Tunstall: Josh Austin, William “Vic” Ingram*
• Westover: Ronald Scearce*, Murray Whittle

Candidates running for seats on the Pittsylvania County School Board (by district):

• Chatham-Blairs: Mark Shields
• Staunton River: Bobby Lamb, Don Moon*
• Tunstall: George Henderson*
• Westover: Kevin Mills*

Henry Hurt Jr. and Crystal Powell* are running for a seat on the Chatham Town Council.
(* incumbent)

Unopposed candidates invited to the forums but not making comments are Michael Taylor for Sheriff, Robin Goard for Commissioner of the Revenue, Bryan Haskins for Commonwealth’s Attorney, and Vincent Shorter for Treasurer.

All forums will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.:

• September 11, 2023 – Eanes, Hite at Dan River High School (100 Dan River Wildcat Circle, Ringgold, VA 24586)
• September 18, 2023 – Davis, Dudley, Lamb, Moon at Gretna High School (100 Gretna Hawks Circle, Gretna, VA 24557)
• September 25, 2023 – Austin, Ingram, Scearce, Whittle at Tunstall High School (100 Trojan Circle, Dry Fork, VA 24549)
• October 2, 2023 – Bowman, Fox, Jennings, Ramsey, Stone, Tucker, Hurt, Powell at Chatham High School (100 Chatham Cavalier Circle, Chatham, VA 24531)

Candidates in contested races and seeking to speak are asked to register by contacting Anne Moore-Sparks at Anne@dpchamber.org or 434-836-6990 by September 8, 2023, at noon.

The public may submit questions for the candidates at https://bit.ly/CountyCandidateForums.  Written responses will be posted on the Chamber’s website and shared with local media.  Questions can be submitted until August 31, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.

Forums will be moderated by a member of the Chamber’s Legislative Committee.  “Informed candidates are critically important – both to understand the challenges within a voting district and to learn and share opportunities to contribute to their prosperity as a vital part of Pittsylvania County,” said Linda Green, chair. “Citizens vote for leaders to represent them and their ideas, and the leaders have an obligation to support the citizens’ interests. That requires strong communications between the candidates and their constituents to ensure that the opportunities and concerns of the citizens are considered first and foremost in the decisions for which the local official will preside. The Chamber is pleased to support this opportunity to know your candidates before you vote.”

All forums are sponsored by the Chatham Star Tribune.

The Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce accelerates business growth by connecting its 550 members organizations and 21,000 employee members to dynamic resources and networks. The Chamber’s number one goal is to help area businesses of all sizes to grow and prosper.