THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 1996 TAG: 9605080585
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10A EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Democratic Mayor William E. Ward kept his seat but not a working majority on the City Council. A shakeup in the council ranks put four Republicans, four Democrats or Ward allies, and one independent in office. All but one of the School Board candidates had the inside political track.
Calling for an end to the City Council's partisan bickering, a ticket headed by longtime Democratic Mayor William E. Ward on Tuesday narrowly dislodged the first Republican majority in the city's history.
The mayor defeated Republican challenger John Cosgrove with 55 percent of the vote. Ward's new term will end in the year 2000. By then, he will have served 10 years as mayor.
Victories by two other members of Ward's ticket, which pointedly avoided the party label ``Democrat'' during the campaign, ended two years of Republican control. Ward's ticket emphasized its diversity in contrast to the all-male Republican ticket, all of whom were from Great Bridge.
Although officially a nonpartisan body, the Chesapeake City Council is now split along party lines, with four Republicans, Ward and three of his backers, and a lone independent - Councilman Alan P. Krasnoff.
Ward said late Tuesday that he expected the council to become a more cohesive body as a result of the election - ``a group that we can now pull together and move ahead into the future.''
Ward ran on a ticket that emphasized improving Chesapeake's ``quality of life,'' a phrase that for Chesapeake residents signals continued business growth, a well-regarded school system and orderly neighborhood development.
Cosgrove, a political newcomer who garnered 45 percent of the vote, campaigned for growth control.
In other races, Councilman Dwight W. Parker, who has sat on the council for less than a year after gaining the seat in last November's special election, won easily with 17.6 percent of the vote.
Newcomer Elizabeth Thornton, who also campaigned against partisan bickering, won with 16.7 percent of the vote. Parker and Thornton were part of Ward's coalition.
Dalton Edge, a 48-year-old farmer who ran on the Republican ticket with Vice Mayor Robert T. Nance Jr., was the one GOP winner, with 14.3 percent of the vote.
Edge has some experience under his belt; he was chosen to fill the seat vacated when Vice Mayor Arthur L. Dwyer resigned in April 1995. Edge lost to Parker after serving little more than six months.
Tuesday's election marked a major defeat for Nance, who was first elected in 1992 and spent much of his political career rooting out money that he felt was misspent or departments that he said were mismanaged. He won fewer than 10,000 votes.
Nance was a key figure in last year's firing of longtime City Manager James W. Rein.
Nance said Tuesday that divisiveness did not play a role in his defeat.
``I would have said that about 18 months ago, or a year ago,'' Nance said. ``But there's been absolutely no divisiveness on council since I've been vice mayor, with the possible exception of the city manager. That was a little bump in the road.''
Republican Councilman John E. Allen did not seek re-election, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. He served one term.
In many ways, Chesapeake residents voted against partisan bickering on Tuesday. Residents said throughout the campaign that they wanted to see housing growth slowed and more emphasis placed on making Chesapeake a better place to live.
Charles E. Beard, a 61-year-old retired resident from Western Branch, was concerned about growth and dismayed by candidates' finger-pointing.
``Most of what I heard was blame,'' he said. ``Each side was blaming the other for our problems. Most of the candidates did not say anything specific, which made choosing hard.'' MEMO: Staff writer Elizabeth Thiel and correspondent Jennifer O'Donnell
contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MORT FRYMAN,/The Virginian-Pilot
Chesapeake Mayor William E. Ward celebrates his re-election Tuesday
night. He beat Republican challenger John Cosgrove. Ward's term will
end in 2000, after which he will have served 10 years as mayor.
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE MAYOR'S RACE ELECTION RESULTS CHESAPEAKE
CITY COUNCIL RACE by CNB