THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 12, 1996 TAG: 9605100244
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Either a few Chesapeake residents have a sense of humor, or they've got celebrity fever.
On Tuesday's ballot for City Council and School Board, some voters wrote in:
Tom Cruise, one vote;
Mel Gibson, two votes;
Steven Segal, two votes;
Patrick Swayze, two votes.
``At least they've got good taste,'' Chesapeake's voter registrar Virginia W. Garrett said of the citizens who thought the stars would make good School Board members.
They were among 19 unofficial candidates written by hand onto ballots during the election.
The unofficial City Council candidate who ran the highest-profile race, 26-year-old car salesman Antoine Whitted, received 51 write-in votes - four for mayor, 45 for council and two for School Board.
Tuesday's election went without a serious hitch, Garrett said Thursday, after releasing the official vote totals.
The unofficial results, which were tallied Tuesday night, were found to be essentially correct when election officials verified them Wednesday, Garrett said.
``Everything went very well,'' she said.
Mayor William E. Ward was re-elected for his second full term, defeating a strong challenge from John A. Cosgrove. Vice Mayor Robert T. Nance Jr. was defeated after four years on council. Republican Dalton S. Edge was re-elected to council after being unseated in November. Dwight M. Parker was re-elected. Newcomer Elizabeth P. Thornton won a seat, making her the only woman on the council.
Elected to the School Board were James J. Wheaton, Patricia P. Willis, Thomas L. Mercer Sr. and Allen H. Goode Jr. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
[chart]
Chesapeake Election Results
Official results from Thursday's canvass of the balloting
[Official election results in the following races:]
Chesapeake Mayor's Race
Chesapeake City Councilmanic Race
Chesapeake School Board Election
For copy of chart, see microfilm or CLIP FILES:
CHESAPEAKE MAYOR'S RACE
CHESAPEAKE CITY COUNCILMANIC RACE
CHESAPEAKE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION< <
KEYWORDS: ELECTION RESULTS CHESAPEAKE by CNB