2009.11.03
Nutter polls nearly 60 percent to win re-election
Dave Nutter won a fifth term in the Virginia House of Delegates Tuesday.
Unofficial results showed Nutter, 54, an economic development specialist at Virginia Tech, came out well ahead of challenger Peggy Frank, an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Pulaski County.
With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Nutter received nearly 60 percent of the votes cast.
“I think people were responding a lot to a basic message of getting the job done. I’ve been able to do that in the General Assembly,” Nutter said.
Two years ago, the district’s voters also chose Nutter, a Republican, over Frank. The race was decided by fewer than 700 votes.
This time, Nutter pulled significantly ahead. He beat Frank in her home county of Pulaski, garnering 69 percent of the vote. Nutter took slightly more than 60 percent of the votes cast in Montgomery County.
In contrast, Radford nearly split over the question of which one should be the region’s next lawmaker, with 54 percent voting for Nutter and 46 percent voting for Frank.
Nutter also led in fund-raising. His campaign raised $197,621 in money and in-kind donations and spent $177,291. Frank’s campaign chest came to $150,569. She spent $116,675.
This will be Nutter’s fifth term representing the state’s 7th House district, which consists of Radford and portions of Montgomery and Pulaski counties.
One voter who cast his ballot for Nutter explained his decision this way.
“I can rely on him to be against cap and trade,” said Mark Larkin of Claytor Lake. “I can rely on him to be against a public option. I can rely on him to be against big government.”
Kate Smith, who lives in the Pulaski County community of Mountain View, said she was struck that she did not seen Frank campaign signs nor receive a mailing in the rural community.
“It made me think she wasn’t interested in our area,” said Smith, who gave her vote to Nutter.
Carlotta Lewis, a Pulaski County resident, said she liked Frank and based her decision to vote for her on TV commercials and a call to her home from the campaign.
“She’s capable and she will do a good job,” Lewis said upon leaving her polling place.
-- Jeff Sturgeon
We have complete results here.
