Rygas, school board challengers win Tuesday
By MIKE WILLIAMS
Patriot Publishing
Pulaski County Republican Spencer Rygas has won a resounding victory in the race for Circuit Court Clerk, and the School Board will feature all new members in 2024.
With nearly all the votes counted, Rygas defeated Terri Nicewander-Hager for an eight-year term as Clerk with 66 percent of the vote (5,261 to 2,676).
In School Board races, Billy Williams won in Draper with 60 percent of the vote (1,006 to 659) over incumbent Timmy Hurst.
In Ingles District, Gina Paine defeated incumbent Penny Golden with 65 percent of the vote (1,096 to 599).
In Massie District, Josh Taylor won with 66 percent of the vote (953 to 493) over incumbent Beckie Worrell Cox.
And in Robinson District, Sabrina Smith Cox won election with 61 percent of the vote (801 to 513) over incumbent Paige Cash.
Two races – Cloyd Supervisor and Cloyd School Board – were very close all through election night with only provisional votes left to count at the end around 10 p.m.
In the supervisor race, incumbent independent Chris Stafford defeated Republican Andy Cullip with 52 percent of the vote (1,034 to 951).
And in the Cloyd School Board race, Jacob Price won with 53 percent of the vote (983 to 876) over Aaron Carr. Price and Carr were running to replace Bill Benson on the board.
In races involving unopposed incumbents, Justin Griffith was re-elected as Commonwealth’s Attorney. Sheriff Mike Worrell won another term, as did Treasurer Melinda Worrell and Commissioner of the Revenue Kim Matthews.
Unopposed Board of Supervisors Chairman Laura Walters (Ingles), Mike Mooney (Massie), Jeff Reeves (Robinson) and Dirk Compton (Draper) all were winners.
State winners were Republican Travis Hackworth (5th State Senate District), Del. Jason Ballard (42nd House of Delegates District) and Jonathan “Jed” Arnold (46th House of Delegates District).
And in the Soil and Water Conservation Director Skyline District (Pulaski County) vote, Lewis A. “Andy” Pratt and George W. Hudson were both elected.
According to unofficial results from the state Department of Elections, 9,036 people voted in Pulaski County. That is 38 percent of the 23,663 people registered to vote locally.