Suffolk endorsements

The Virginian Pilot today announced its endorsements in the Suffolk municipal races. The first direct election of the mayor will be on the ballot, and among the six candidates (seven including a write in candidate) will be current mayor Linda Johnson. Citing her missteps over the past two years, the Pilot concludes that it “cannot endorse Johnson’s election as mayor of the City of Suffolk.”

It seems the Pilot struggled with choosing between two of the remaining candidates, Mike Debranski and Dwight Nixon. The editorial provides reasons for choosing either, ultimately coming down in favor of Debranski. The deciding factor was the difference between the two on the issue of growth in Suffolk, which is the largest city (by land mass) in the Commonwealth.

Debranski’s philosophies seem more in line with smart-growth champions who have led the city in the past, while Nixon said he would like to see more growth in areas that can accommodate it, an almost certain recipe for sprawl.

In other races, the Pilot endorsed Leroy Bennett, Curtis Milteer, and Rob Barclay for council in the Nansemond Borough, Whaleyville Borough and Sleepy Hole Borough, respectively. For School Board, the Pilot endorses incumbents James Perkinson from Sleepy Hole and Sharon Harris from Whaleyville, plus newcomer Thelma Hinton in the Nansemond Borough.

I can honestly say I have not kept up with the Suffolk races this year so I have no idea how close these endorsements are to what the people of Suffolk will ultimately choose. There has been a blog at PilotOnline which has followed the campaigns. And at least one local blogger, who interviewed five of the seven candidates, agrees with the Pilot’s choice for mayor.

The Pilot’s Suffolk Voter Guide can be found here.