Voters in Damascus are casting their votes Tuesday, in a town that’s still rebuilding after devastating flooding in September from Hurricane Helene.
Floodwater damaged Michael S. Milhorne’s home in Taylor’s Valley, just outside Damascus, but he said he made sure to get here today to cast his vote. He voted for some Republicans, but not for Donald Trump.
“I voted for Kamela Harris. I’m concerned about the democracy of our country. And that’s the reason I voted the way I did,” Milhorne said.
Damascus, with a population of 700 people, is a popular outdoor destination. Today, even after the floods, the Creeper Trail is filled with bikers. There are also residents who have moved here from outside the area, which is one reason the town tends to lean more towards the left compared with most of southwest Virginia, which is a deep red part of Virginia.
But Trump signs still cover most yards in Damascus, and brought supporters out to the polls.
Walking into the Damascus precinct carrying an oxygen tank, Teresa Seymore said this is the third election she’s voting for Donald Trump.
“Number one issue’s the border and the immigrants that’s come in and taken over jobs and get better benefits than Americans are getting,” Seymore said, adding that she thinks most people in Damascus are even more excited for Trump this year than in previous elections.
“Because they see what they’ve mossed with the democrats. and the country’s gone downhill since they’ve been in office,” Seymore said.
Wearing a confederate flag hat, David Vestal, waves to his friend, a democrat, as the two engage in a civil, but heated debate, about why Vestal is voting for Donald Trump.
“I don’t want that lady out there. She wants to take our guns away from us,” Vestal said.
Vestal also blames Kamala Harris and democrats for the high prices for groceries and gasoline. His friend, Damascus’ vice mayor Jack McCrady, tries to explain his view, that CEO’s are more responsible for prices than politicians.
“I think by and large most people are reasonable with each other,” McCrady said. “Cause we got to live together. And this rift that’s tore us apart, is ridiculous.
Like McCrady, most voters say people in Damascus are able to talk across political lines. They think that’s even more true recently, as they’ve worked together so closely to rescue and rebuild after Helene.
More than 29 percent of voters in Damascus voted early or by mail this election, lower than in 2020, but almost double compared with 2022, according to the Washington County registrar, Derek Lyall.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
