Roanokers are voting for three seats on the seven-member governing council of the largest metro area in western Virginia.
The ballot for Roanoke city council includes three Democrats, one Republican, and three independents.
Roanoke is western Virginia’s economic engine, home to healthcare giant Carilion Clinic and a burgeoning partnership with Virginia Tech. Over the last 20 years Roanoke has revamped its downtown to create a new neighborhood, and launched a new medical school.
But discontent is in the air.
“Do you like the way things are going at city hall, or do you like the way things are going in the city, or do you not?" asked former four-term Roanoke mayor and perpetual candidate David Bowers at a mid-October forum hosted by the Greater Williamson Road Area Business Association.
Bowers is running for council this time as an independent.
“With a $12 million deficit with the school board, with a $30 million bill here for the maintenance of the Berglund Center, with this dilly-dallying back and forth for two or three years now over rezoning, the issue is, do you like what’s going on, or do you not?" Bowers said. "If you like what’s going on, you probably are not going to vote for me, but if you don’t like what’s going on, you’ve got to choose someone who can make a difference.”
Bowers is referencing financial issues that have bedeviled the council lately.
The city faces an ongoing budget shortfall and recently trimmed the amount of money that goes to schools. Its civic center has $30 million dollars in deferred maintenance and capital projects.
The rezoning remark references the council’s 2024 decision to eliminate single-family zoning and make it easier to build multi-family units. Zoning became a major election issue that fall. Although the council has considered tweaks to loosen certain requirements, they’re still stuck in negotiations.
Plus, there’s discomfort over a homeless population that’s grown since the COVID-19 pandemic, and disagreement over whether to lobby for a casino and how to approach data centers.
In the August primary, Democratic voters dumped one sitting council member, leaving just one incumbent in a field of seven candidates. That would be Vivian Sanchez-Jones, an immigrant and longtime community advocate. She was first appointed to the council in 2020 and was elected to a full term in 2022.
“Since 2004 I have been that advocate, I have been that person, when people in the community have an issue, can quietly help them solve it and help them navigate whatever circumstances they’re going through," said Sanchez-Jones. "I’m a hard worker, and I’m going to continue to work for our community. Everybody in the city is my community.”
Sanchez-Jones is joined on the Democratic ticket by Raekwon Moore, the leading vote-getter in the August primary. He works in mental health and has emphasized his experience as an advocate for neighborhoods and for children.
“I really want to make sure that we are renewing our focus on things that people are dealing with every single day," Moore said in a phone interview. "I care a lot about our public schools and I want to make sure we’re funding them adequately. As well as making sure we’re taking care of parks across our city, making sure that they are adequate, that they’re safe, so families have free and adequate spaces to be families at.”
Danny Clawson finished second in the Democratic primary. Clawson is executive director of the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition, a non-profit that works with people dealing with substance use disorder.
“I jumped into this race because I was really concerned about housing crisis," Clawson said. "About 60% of the 1,500 people we serve a year in Roanoke city are unstably housed. People are fed up with business as usual, and people are really feeling the pain at their kitchen tables and the gas pump and they’re tired of leaders who are disconnected from the average person on the ground. I identify with the reclamation of the Democratic party and our values.”
Amanda Marko is the campaign’s sole Republican, hoping to defy national trends that are expected to favor Democrats.
“I’m an innovator, I’m a problem solver, and that’s what we need, because like you, I feel like Roanoke is not living up to its potential, and the only way we’re going to get out of that is if we do something different," Marko said at the Williamson Road forum. "And for some people, that might mean voting for a Republican for the first time. That’s me.”
Besides Bowers, a former Democrat, there are two other independent candidates.
One is Stephanie Moon-Reynolds, who worked in city government for 42 years, including 13 as city clerk before serving a term on Roanoke city council and unsuccessfully running for mayor in 2024.
“The community as a whole reached out to me and said, we need you back, would you consider coming back," Moon said. "You were very effective, you have the knowledge, you have the experience, and you have understanding of governance. You know policies and procedures. You have a wealth of knowledge with regard to the code and the city charter.”
The other independent is Kathy Cohen, a longtime rabbi who has served on a variety of civic boards.
“What I have found is that we have an amazing city and we have amazing people in our city," Cohen said. "And like all cities, we have our ups and downs, and I think right now, we’re experiencing more downs than ups, and I hope that my years of serving the city and years of knowing the people within the city and bringing people together throughout the city boundaries can bring back a future that is bright and get us back on an upward track.”
Early voting already has begun. Election day is Tuesday, November 3.
