THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 16, 1994 TAG: 9411150127
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA McNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WINDSOR LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Lud Lorenzo ``Ren'' Spivey, the county's newest member of the Board of Supervisors, spent most of election day 1994 at the polls, feeling quite anxious.
And when he left Windsor Town Hall about 9 p.m., he faced the thought of losing rather than winning the Windsor District seat he'd worked so hard for.
First thing election-day morning, he had gone to the Windsor precinct. Then, he had dropped in at Orbit and at the Courthouse precinct, where votes also are collected for the Windsor District.
Spivey had gone home for a couple of hours to rest in the afternoon, he admitted, because the weeks before the election had been hectic.
But he went back to Windsor, where he had served on the Town Council for two terms before he decided last spring not to run for re-election.
``I stayed there until about 7:15,'' Spivey said. He went home for a few minutes and went back to Windsor Town Hall. Poll workers were still counting votes on the machines that had been set up there for the state and special elections.
``I sat there until about 9 o'clock,'' Spivey recalled. ``Then, one of the poll workers gave me the Windsor precinct results.''
Spivey had lost in his own precinct, 454-448.
``I wrote the numbers down, sat down and said to myself, `Well, I lost by six votes.' '', Spivey recalled. ``I wondered if I could have shaken six more hands. I'd lost in Windsor. It was a disappointment. I could only hope I'd done better at the other precincts.''
And he had.
As it turned out, he had defeated J.R. ``Jim'' Hager, a Zuni dentist who was appointed to fill the seat, vacated by Smithfield attorney Steve Edwards after he moved out of the district in early summer. The final tally was 992 to 718.
In Orbit, Spivey garnered 173 votes over his opponent's 117. And he swept the Courthouse Precinct with 371 votes over Hager's 147. But on the drive home, he still didn't know that.
Smiling, Spivey said, ``It was something I had thought about for a couple of days. I wondered what I would say if I won; what I'd say if I lost. You always think about it.''
When he did get home, however, the news was good. He learned about his wins at the other two precincts as soon as he walked in the door. Edwards had called Spivey's wife to tell her about the results.
And finally, after such a long day, it was time to celebrate.
``Being elected by the people is the greatest tribute one can receive from the people,'' said Spivey, adult probation and parole officer based in Suffolk for the Fifth Judicial District.
``Making decisions which are in their interest is the greatest challenge which I now face. I know that God will help me in this undertaking.''
Spivey said he feels he had one asset over his challenger: campaign experience. With his two terms on Town Council, he had been through previous campaigns. Hager, a former School Board chairman, has held only appointed positions in the past.
Still, Spivey had nothing but praise for Hager and his campaign tactics.
``Jim has always been so conscientious,'' he said. ``He is so respected. I do feel like I won a race. I am grateful to the people who supported me.''
Spivey, who now serves on the County Planning Commission, has the option of continuing in that capacity or appointing a citizen in his district to take over his commission duties.
Spivey will be sworn in this week by Clerk of Courts William Laine, and he will be in the Windsor District seat at the meeting of the Board of Supervisors Thursday night. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Spivey
by CNB