Voters in Virginia’s Tallest Town will have to choose among three candidates Nov. 6 in the race for mayor of Bluefield, Va.
Incumbent Mayor Don Harris is being challenged by current council member Roy Lee Riffe and C.E. “Chuck” Presley Jr. in the mayoral race. Two of the men were recently interviewed by the Daily Telegraph’s editorial board. Presley did not attend the editorial board session and has not provided the newspaper with information concerning his candidacy.
While three men are vying for the title of mayor, there is no competition Nov. 6 in the town council race where incumbents Donald Scott Linkous and Anglis Trigg Jr. are running unopposed for re-election.
After careful consideration and debate, we endorse Harris for re-election in the mayoral race.
When you compare the two Bluefields — the city of Bluefield and the town of Bluefield, Va. — there is no question as to where all of the growth has occurred, and is occurring. And that’s not intended to be unfair to the city of Bluefield. Things are slowly starting to improve in Bluefield. But, for years, the epicenter of growth has been Bluefield, Va.
It started years ago with Walmart and Sam’s Club, then two new shopping centers that led to additional spin-off growth. And that growth continues to this very day with new additions such as Taco Bell, Burke’s Outlet and Med Response. Harris, a long-time downtown merchant and veteran member of town council and the mayoral job, has been a guiding force in that growth over the years.
It is true that Bluefield, Va. — just like the rest of the nation — hit a stumbling block in 2008 with the onset of the financial storm known as the Great Recession. Stores were closed, and promising new developments — including the Leatherwood property — were stalled. But through it all Virginia’s Tallest Town has endured. And it is still growing.
Harris — and an aggressive town council and town administration — is to be credited for a lot of that success. Yes, there are still empty storefronts in Bluefield, Va. And yes, the growth in recent years has been a lot slower than we would prefer. But the town is still moving in the right direction. We see no reason to change leadership at such a critical juncture.
Riffe was appointed last month to a two-year term on the town council to fill a vacancy created by the departure of Todd Day, who is now the new town manager of Tazewell. Riffe appears to have the best interest of the town in mind and good ideas on how to grow Bluefield, Va. We believe he will be an exceptional addition to the town council.
However, we would urge voters to stay the course, and to stick with the winning team that is currently in place in Bluefield, Va., under the leadership of Mayor Don Harris when they head to the polls on Nov. 6 in Tazewell County.
Endorsements
Endorsement: Don Harris, mayoral race, Bluefield, Va.
- Endorsements
-
- McDowell magistrate seats to be decided in upcoming election
- Endorsement: Governor of West Virginia, Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin
- Endorsement: 3rd Congressional District Republican Rick Snuffer
-
Snuffer mulls issues
Rick Snuffer believes Republicans and Democrats alike can do a better job of working together in Washington. And he’s asking voters in West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District to give him a chance to help facilitate positive change in Washington and back home in southern West Virginia.
-
Rahall mulls issues
U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., admits he is as frustrated as some of his constituents when it comes to issues such as the inability of Congress to work together, the ban on federal earmarks and the continued omission of a long-term federal highway bill.
- Endorsement: W.Va. Supreme Court of Appeals Robin Davis, Tish Chafin
- Endorsement: U.S. Senate, West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin
- Endorsement: President of the United States, Republican Mitt Romney
-
Four vying for W.Va. Supreme Court positions
-
Griffith fighting for the 9th
Virginia’s 9th Congressional District is the most geographically challenging region in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with mountains everywhere and a hills to climb around every bend. Incumbent U.S. Rep. H. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., apologized to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph if he appeared fatigued, before asking his campaign scheduler, Danielle Barrow, what day they had been in Norton, Va.
- More Endorsements Headlines
