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Local Republican incumbents hold Virginia House of Delegates, Senate Senate seats

by | Nov 9, 2023

Michael Webert will return to the House of Delegates, representing Rappahannock County and neighboring areas.
Michael Webert will return to the House of Delegates, representing Rappahannock County and neighboring areas.
Rappahannock resident Elizabeth Melson ran for State Senate District 28 as an independent. She campaigned at a rainy Amissville carnival in June.
Rappahannock resident Elizabeth Melson ran for State Senate District 28 as an independent. She campaigned at a rainy Amissville carnival in June.

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Michael Webert will return to the House of Delegates, representing Rappahannock County and neighboring areas.

Incumbent Republican candidates representing Rappahannock County in the House of Delegates and state Senate were reelected on Tuesday. 

Although both victors in Rappahannock’s districts are Republicans, the Senate maintained a Democratic majority in this year’s race, and the House of Delegates flipped from a Republican to Democratic majority. 

House of Delegates, District 61: Michael Webert (R-Fauquier) was reelected to the House of Delegates with 1,407 in Rappahannock County and 20,480 votes overall with 32 out of 34 precincts reporting as of Wednesday morning. 

State Senate, District 28: Bryce Reeves (R-Orange) was reelected to the state Senate with 1,347 votes in Rappahannock County and 41,787 votes overall with 73 out of 79 precincts reporting as of Wednesday morning. 

Rappahannock resident on the ballot

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Rappahannock resident Elizabeth Melson ran for State Senate District 28 as an independent. She campaigned at a rainy Amissville carnival in June.

Flint Hill resident Elizabeth Melson, who ran as an independent, was defeated by Republican incumbent Reeves. Melson received 91 votes in Rappahannock County and 2,160 votes overall. 

Melson is a mom, wife, and advocate for “voters-first” reforms. Melson has been elected or appointed to statewide boards, including time on the Virginia Farmers Market Association and Virginia Hemp Coalition boards. She was a co-founder and former president of FairVote Virginia and serves on the Rappahannock County Board of Social Services. Melson is also known in Rappahannock County as the farm manager at Off the Grid in Sperryville.

In a statement to the Rappahannock News, Melson said she ran the best campaign that she could with the resources available to her as a first-time candidate and an independent. 

“I learned so much and I know what to do better next time,” Melson said. “I am honored and grateful to have the support that is coming in. It’s ok if it’s not enough to win. I will continue to serve my community and the Commonwealth through civic engagement and advocacy. I hope I have inspired others to do bold things.”

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By Ireland Hayes

Read more articles by Ireland Hayes
Ireland joined Foothills Forum as a full-time reporter in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism and minor in music. As a student, she gained valuable experience in reporter and editor positions at The Red & Black, an award-winning student newspaper, and contributed to Grady Newsource and the Athens Banner-Herald. She spent three years as an editorial assistant at Georgia Magazine, UGA’s quarterly alumni publication, and interned with The Bitter Southerner. Growing up in a small town in Southeast Georgia, Ireland developed a deep appreciation for rural communities and the unique stories they have to tell. She completed undergraduate research on news deserts, ghost papers and the ways rural communities in Georgia are being forced to adapt to a lack of local news. This research further sparked her interest in a career contributing to the preservation of local and rural news.