Clerk of Court Opening Causes Possible Shake-up in Augusta County – Updated
There was mild surprise last week when Augusta County’s Clerk of Court Carol Brydge (R) announced her retirement. After 30 years of service to the county, she made the decision to step down on April 1, three years into her eight-year term. The first woman to hold the job since its creation 274 years ago, it reportedly has a salary of $120,000 a year.
In an election year that has Augusta County already facing the election of 19 positions — 4 constitutional officers (sheriff, treasurer, commonwealth’s attorney, commissioner of revenue), 3 House of Delegates, 1 State Senate, 5 Board of Supervisors, 4 School Board, 2 Headwaters Soil and Water — this adds one more for a grand total of 20. It is one of the most active election cycles of any locality in the Commonwealth.
With an open seat, South River Supervisor Carolyn Bragg (R), who would be the second woman to hold the seat if she were to win, was the first candidate to throw her hat in the ring for Clerk of Court with a press release sent to media Monday afternoon. As a small business owner, she and her husband owned the Seven-Eleven in Stuarts Draft for 17 years. Bragg, a popular supervisor who is up for re-election in November, would leave the South River seat open, possibly causing a scramble for that district’s representation.
By Tuesday afternoon other names were being whispered as possible challengers. One name that has rumors swirling of an announcement Tuesday on the Courthouse steps in downtown Staunton is Delegate Steve Landes. Now why, you may ask, would someone who has been in the Virginia House since 1996 and worked his way to the upper echelons of leadership want to give that up to be head clerk in the Augusta County courthouse?
Perhaps it’s a desire to be closer to home. Perhaps the timing is right because his longtime aide just retired. Perhaps it’s the six-figure salary. Perhaps it’s his desire to beef up his state retirement (based on the lucrative clerk of court salary as opposed to the lower-paying delegate salary).
Let’s look at the domino effect a Landes candidacy would cause in Augusta if he stepped out of his delegate seat. Someone who has been in the wings for years desiring higher office is Augusta Supervisor Marshall Pattie (R-North River) who would surely jump at the possibility of moving up to delegate.
If that happened, Pattie’s seat would be open leaving the possibility for a new face in the North River supervisor position.
So Augusta could have new faces running for three supervisor positions: South River, Wayne, and North River.
The county could also have new faces for two delegate seats: Landes 25th District and Dickie Bell’s 20th District. Ben Cline’s 24th District seat was filled by a special election in December after Cline won the 6th congressional district seat in November. That would probably mark the first time ever all three delegate seats in Augusta County have turned over practically at the same time.
As to how the dominos fall … stay tuned.
UPDATE 10:20 am: Press release from Steve Landes’ office.
DELEGATE LANDES TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON 2019 ELECTIONS
WEYERS CAVE, VA – Del. R. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave, Chairman of the House Education Committee, and Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee will hold a press conference tomorrow afternoon to make an announcement regarding the 2019 elections.
WHAT: Delegate Landes Holds Press Conference on 2019 elections
WHEN: Tuesday March 5th, 2019, 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Augusta County Government Center, Board Meeting Room, 18 Government Center Lane, Verona, VA 24482
Landes represents the 25th House District, which includes parts of Albemarle, Augusta, and Rockingham Counties. Landes is currently serving his twelfth term in the Virginia House of Delegates. Visit SteveLandes.com for additional information.
