By Juliette Sohonage
Charles Jolley launched his campaign for Buena Vista’s school board less than two weeks before Election Day—and he won, according to a recount conducted Wednesday.
Jolley, who ran and lost in 2021, said he decided to pursue a spot on the board as a write-in candidate when he went to the municipal building in late October to vote early.
“When I went down to vote and I saw only three people running,” he said, “I decided maybe I’d run myself in the fourth spot.”
Jolley said he made up small flyers that he handed out to voters who showed up at the municipal building on Election Day.
He received 225 votes, and Mike Cartolaro received 203 votes.
The results were revealed at a meeting of the Buena Vista Electoral Board at the municipal building. Emilie Staton, Buena Vista’s registrar, Dennis Hawes, chairman of the Buena Vista Electoral Board, Debbie Garrett, vice chair of the BV Electoral Board, and Steve Baldridge, secretary for the BV Electoral Board, counted all provisional, in-person and mail-in absentee ballots at the meeting to determine the winner.
“We were unable to count until today because the state electoral board has to certify that they’re eligible voters,” Staton said, referring to votes cast by provisional ballots.
Provisional ballots allow people to vote if their registration or voting qualifications are in question. The voter is not turned away. Instead, the voter is given a provisional ballot, which is handled separately from normally cast ballots. Election officials then ascertain whether the voter is eligible to vote. If so, the vote is counted in the official tally.
Only votes for Jolley and Cartolaro were recounted Wednesday because they each received over 200 write-in votes out of 700 cast. Jacob Zimmerman and John Roberts each received over 100 votes.
Seven people attended the vote recount, including Jolley, Janet Lipscomb, deputy registrar, and Jan Lowry, chair of the Rockbridge Area Republicans.
Buena Vista’s school board has seven members, and four seats were up for election on Nov. 4.
Jolley, Cartolaro, Zimmerman and Roberts each ran as write-in candidates.
Three people were listed as candidates on the ballot. Lisa Kerr, the school board’s vice chair, and member Roy Mohler were re-elected. Duncan Gilbert was elected for the first time.
Wayne Flint, a former principal of Parry McCluer High School and school board member, passed away in August, leaving a seat vacant, which Mac Felts is filling until a special election in November 2026. John Rice, a former school board member, also moved out of the area and vacated his seat in September.
Cartolaro was unanimously appointed by the BV school board in September to fill Rice’s seat temporarily.
Jolley said he would like to see more specialized education at Parry McCluer High School.
“I would like to see more vocational ed in the high school,” he said, “because a lot of our kids don’t attend college.”
He also said he wants higher-paid teachers because BV is “one of the lowest-paid school districts in the state.”
Gilbert, the other newly elected member, said Parry McCluer Middle School needs to be updated.
“It’s in pretty bad shape and it’s dilapidated,” he said. “You want the best for our children.”
The new board members will be sworn in in January. Each of them will serve four-year terms.