Sweeping change came to the Hanover County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
A majority of the seven-member board will be new as one longtime supervisor was ousted, as was the board's current chairwoman, and two other supervisors did not seek re-election.
South Anna Supervisor John E. Gordon Jr., who has served Hanover County on the School Board and Board of Supervisors for nearly 30 years, lost to Republican challenger Wayne T. Hazzard in a hotly contested race.
Gordon expressed disappointment after the final results but did not dwell on the defeat. Instead, he looked to a future of continued public service, and possibly a run for the General Assembly.
"I'm proud of my 30 years of service to Hanover County; I gave it my all for 30 years and I have absolutely no regrets," Gordon said. "I'm excited about the question that I'm dealing with now and that question is — what's next?"
Hazzard, who calls himself a "Christian conservative tea-party Republican," unsuccessfully ran against Gordon in 1999 in a Republican primary. Gordon switched from Republican to independent this year to avoid the cost of running in a primary.
"I think I stayed pretty consistent on my message of conservatism and never back down," Hazzard said. "With that in mind, I think the conservative philosophy is what the county residents have been looking for."
The second incumbent who lost Tuesday was Mechanicsville Supervisor Deborah B. Winans, the board chairwoman who was defeated by Republican challenger W. Canova Peterson.
Peterson, an architect in Hanover, said Tuesday night he was worn out after a long day of campaigning, but he praised Winans for her service to the community.
"Debbie and I can both be very proud that we ran a race based on principles and issues and nothing personal," Peterson said. "I have the greatest respect for her. The way she ran her campaign is impeccable."
Slots opened up in the Henry and Chickahominy districts when incumbents Charles D. McGhee and Robert R. Setliff decided to not seek re-election.
Republican Sean M. Davis defeated Patti Jackson in the Henry District and Angela Kelly-Wiecek emerged victorious against Jim Ellis in the Chickahominy District.
"I'm extremely humble and grateful to the people of Hanover County to entrust me with their vote and leadership opportunities that will present themselves as we move Hanover into the future," said Davis, who is a veteran of the Marine Corps.
Added Kelly-Wiecek: "I'm grateful to the citizens of the Chickahominy District … for their confidence in me. I'm looking forward to meeting their needs."
In the Ashland District, incumbent G. Ed Via III defeated Democratic challenger Kevin R. Damian for the second time in four years. In 2007, Via defeated Damian by 15 votes in a three-way race.
Elton J. Wade Sr. held off two challengers in the Cold Harbor District to successfully obtain a sixth term on the board, while Beaverdam District Supervisor Aubrey M. Stanley — the longest serving member of the board — ran unopposed and was re-elected for a seventh term.
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