Special Election on Tuesday will decide Commissioner of the Revenue race

Tuesday is Special Election Day in the county.

Voters will go to the polls to select a new Commissioner of the Revenue.

The special election was requested last year by the county and approved for Jan. 15 by the Circuit Court following the sudden death last summer of Commissioner Trina Rupe.

Two candidates will be on the ballot Tuesday – Donna Gray is the local Democratic Party’s nominee, while Kim L. Matthews is an independent candidate for the office.

Gray has been serving as Interim Commissioner since Rupe’s passing. She has served as Rupe’s chief deputy and has over 10 years of experience working in the commissioner’s office.

Matthews is a Pulaski native who works as a FastForward career coach in Workforce Development at New River Community College.

The winner of Tuesday’s election serve the rest of Rupe’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2019.

Another election will be held in November to select the county’s Constitutional officers –

Commonwealth’s attorney, sheriff, treasurer and commissioner – meaning the winner on Tuesday will face another race in November should they decide to seek election to a full four-year term.

Polls open at 6 a.m. as usual and close at 7 p.m. Voters are reminded to bring a photo ID to the polls.

Polling places are the same for Tuesday’s Special Election as they were in November.

County Registrar Kathy Webb notes that Saturday is the last day for in-person absentee voting.

And she notes that voters will notice that there are no party affiliations listed for candidates on the ballot.

“The Code of Virginia provides that political party identification appear on the ballot ONLY for federal, statewide and General Assembly candidates,” Webb stated.  “Therefore, political party identification DOES NOT appear on the ballot for any local office candidate.  Only names of the candidates will appear on the ballot.”

By MIKE WILLIAMS, The Patriot