Stevensburg voters choose Chase

Voters in the Stevensburg District returned 28-year incumbent Bill Chase to the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors Tuesday by 73 votes.

Chase, who is chairman of the board, received 46.5 percent of the vote in a three-way race against Dewayne Payne (42.1 percent) and Gardiner Mulford (11.3 percent).

When Chase begins his eighth term in January, he will become the longest-serving supervisor in the county’s history, according to local historian Donnie Johnston.

About 40 people gathered with Chase Tuesday night around 7:30 in the basement of the Lord Culpeper Hotel on Main Street, at the location of the former 401 South restaurant and bar, to celebrate. The room erupted into applause when the winning announcement was made.

“It’s very, very rewarding because I know the other people worked hard,” Chase said of his opponents. “I’m very happy. I’ve given it a lot of thought, and the most rewarding thing about the job is when you help people. We’re all in this world together, so let’s help each other.”

Fellow supervisors Steve Nixon, Steve Walker and Tom Underwood joined Chase for soft drinks, barbecue, chips and cake.

Payne, 28, a lifelong resident who campaigned on the Republican ticket, came up just short. Mulford, 48, who described himself as a Reagan Republican but ran as an independent, finished a distant third.

Both said they would consider running again.

“If the people of Culpeper County want water and sewer in the county to spur the growth of residential and retail business, then they’ve chosen the right guy to do it,” Mulford said of Chase’s victory. Mulford said he would continue to push for multi-use trails and other initiatives that favor land preservation.

“I ran on a platform of improving our quality of life,” he said, adding that he wouldn’t change his platform if he ran again. “It may not be popular now, but four years from now, when real estate taxes are even higher and schools are more crowded, maybe my platform will be more attractive.”

Payne, a member of the Planning Commission, expressed appreciation for the support of Stevensburg District residents.

“The only true way of knowing the issue and the true concerns of the residents is by meeting with them, and I would take the same approach again,” he said. “I would definitely not rule out running again in four years.”

Incumbent supervisors Brad Rosenberger in the Jefferson District and Larry Aylor in the Cedar Mountain District ran unopposed.