Sunday, December 1, 2024

No bowl needed: Dem who lost drawing wins rematch in Newport News

On Tuesday, Simonds won nearly 58 percent of the vote. Yancey won about 40 percent. (WYDaily file)
On Tuesday, Simonds won nearly 58 percent of the vote. Yancey won about 40 percent. (WYDaily file)

NEWPORT NEWS — A Democratic candidate who lost a random drawing that determined control of the Virginia House of Delegates nearly two years ago has won a rematch against her Republican opponent.

Shelly Simonds defeated four-term Del. David Yancey handily Tuesday in a race for the 94th District in Newport News.

The close 2017 race between the two went to a recount, then to court. Eventually, officials used the luck of the draw, placing the name of each candidate on a piece of paper and each piece of paper in a separate film canister.

The canisters were put into a cobalt blue-and-white ceramic bowl made by a local artist and stirred around. The canister containing Yancey’s name was drawn, giving him the win.

On Tuesday, Simonds won nearly 58 percent of the vote. Yancey won about 40 percent.

John Mangalonzo
John Mangalonzohttp://wydaily.com
John Mangalonzo (john@localdailymedia.com) is the managing editor of Local Voice Media’s Virginia papers – WYDaily (Williamsburg), Southside Daily (Virginia Beach) and HNNDaily (Hampton-Newport News). Before coming to Local Voice, John was the senior content editor of The Bellingham Herald, a McClatchy newspaper in Washington state. Previously, he served as city editor/content strategist for USA Today Network newsrooms in St. George and Cedar City, Utah. John started his professional journalism career shortly after graduating from Lyceum of The Philippines University in 1990. As a rookie reporter for a national newspaper in Manila that year, John was assigned to cover four of the most dangerous cities in Metro Manila. Later that year, John was transferred to cover the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. He spent the latter part of 1990 to early 1992 embedded with troopers in the southern Philippines as they fought with communist rebels and Muslim extremists. His U.S. journalism career includes reporting and editing stints for newspapers and other media outlets in New York City, California, Texas, Iowa, Utah, Colorado and Washington state.

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