CAPE CHARLES, Va. — Voters across Northampton County headed to the polls Tuesday to select mayors and town council members, with Cape Charles and Cheriton among six Eastern Shore communities deciding who will lead their local governments.
The elections brought new and returning faces to municipal leadership, while several towns saw uncontested races and others awaited the counting of write-in votes to determine their next mayors.
Cape Charles Elects McDonald, Butta and Usry to Town Council
In Cape Charles, four candidates competed for three available seats on Town Council.
Ian McDonald led the field with 521 votes, followed by Kenneth Butta with 464 votes and Mark Usry with 453 votes. All three secured seats on the council.
Adam Charney ran unopposed for mayor of Cape Charles, receiving 702 votes.
The election establishes the town’s incoming council membership as Cape Charles continues to address issues involving development, infrastructure, tourism, public services and the community’s long-term future.
Cheriton Elects Six Council Members, Kolakowski as Mayor
In neighboring Cheriton, six candidates competed for six available Town Council seats.
Terri Tatem received the highest vote total with 164 votes, followed by Bo Lewis Sr. with 146 votes and Barry Downing Jr. with 145 votes.
Norma Spencer received 135 votes, Matthew Yancy III received 104 votes, and Sheila Traina received 95 votes. All six candidates were elected.
Former Northampton County Administrator Charles Kolakowski ran unopposed for mayor of Cheriton, receiving 137 votes.
Kolakowski’s election brings a familiar figure in Northampton County government into municipal leadership. His previous experience as county administrator provides a background in local government operations as he assumes the mayor’s position.
Eastville Elects Gordon as Mayor, Fills Six Council Seats
In Eastville, Eleanor Gordon defeated Diane Crockett in the race for mayor. Gordon received 66 votes, although the vote total for Crockett was not included in the available results.
Six candidates competed for six Town Council seats.
Allen Philpot led the council candidates with 92 votes, followed by Anne Sayers with 81 votes and Annette Brown with 73 votes.
Logan Small received 71 votes, Bonny Lewis received 70 votes, and John Crockett received 67 votes. All six candidates secured council seats.
Exmore Elects Three Council Members; Mayoral Write-In Results Pending
Exmore voters selected three Town Council members from a field of four candidates.
Bryon Heaster led the voting with 228 votes, followed closely by Stephanie Lilliston with 224 votes and Claudia Andrews with 220 votes. All three were elected.
The mayoral race remained unresolved in the available election report. No candidate formally filed for the position, leaving voters to select a mayor through write-in ballots.
A total of 179 write-in votes were cast, but the winning candidate had not been announced at the time of the report.
Nassawadox Elects Six Council Members, Awaits Mayoral Results
In Nassawadox, seven candidates competed for six Town Council seats.
Georgette Press received the most votes with 102, followed by Thomas Rippon Jr. with 87 votes and Andrea Fox with 83 votes.
Jerome Nottingham IV received 69 votes, Lisa Lindberg received 68 votes, and Edward Lynch received 60 votes, rounding out the six elected council members.
Like Exmore, Nassawadox had no formally declared candidate for mayor.
Voters cast 40 write-in votes for the position, with the winning candidate yet to be announced in the available results.
Municipal Elections Set Leadership Across the County
The municipal elections determined leadership in six Northampton County towns, with Cape Charles and Cheriton selecting their mayors through uncontested races while voters chose council members from the candidates on their respective ballots.
The results also highlighted differences in local electoral participation. Cape Charles recorded the largest reported vote totals among the towns, while smaller communities such as Eastville and Nassawadox saw substantially fewer votes cast in individual races.
Although most council contests have been decided, the mayoral races in Exmore and Nassawadox remain outstanding pending the identification and confirmation of write-in winners.
Editor’s Note: Results are based on the election figures provided at the time of this publication. The outcomes of the Exmore and Nassawadox mayoral write-in contests were not available at the time of this report.
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