Democrats Raekwon Moore, Danny Clawson and incumbent Vivian Sanchez-Jones finished in the top three for three Roanoke City Council seats Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections with all 20 precincts reporting.
While election-night counting is complete, results remain unofficial until certified. Provisional ballots and mailed absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by Friday, Nov. 6, may still be counted. The Roanoke City Electoral Board is scheduled to send certified results to the State Board of Elections by Nov. 13.
The vote count
Moore, a first-time candidate, led the seven-person field with 16,408 votes (20.48%). Clawson, also a first-time candidate, finished second with 12,867 votes (16.06%), and Sanchez-Jones followed in third with 12,577 votes (15.70%).
Former Mayor David Bowers finished fourth with 10,283 votes (12.84%), trailing Sanchez-Jones by 2,294 votes. Former Councilwoman Stephanie Moon Reynolds was 32 votes behind Bowers with 10,251 (12.80%). Republican Amanda Marko received 8,835 votes (11.03%) and Kathy Cohen received 8,403 (10.49%). There were 491 write-in votes recorded.
Voter turnout in Roanoke was 47 percent, with 32,631 ballots cast out of 68,854 registered voters.
Reshaping the council
The three seats on the ballot were previously held by Democrats Peter Volosin and Sanchez-Jones and independent Evelyn Powers. Powers did not seek reelection after her 2025 appointment to the council seat Joe Cobb left when he was elected mayor. Volosin finished fourth in the August Democratic primary, behind Moore, Clawson and Sanchez-Jones.
Clawson serves as executive director of the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition. Moore is a mental health administrator involved with several nonprofits. The new members will join Cobb, Vice Mayor Terry McGuire and council members Nick Hagen and Phazhon Nash.
A field of veteran challengers
The challenger field included several former city leaders. Bowers, who served as mayor as a Democrat and later ran as a Republican, ran this year as an independent. He served 16 years as mayor and finished 59 votes behind Cobb in the 2024 mayoral race.
Moon Reynolds also ran for mayor in 2024. Cohen is a retired rabbi and former chair of the city’s Gun Violence Prevention Commission. Marko, who chairs the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission, was the only Republican in the race and led the field in fundraising according to campaign finance reports filed in October.
Candidates focused on schools, public safety, housing and the city budget during the campaign. The winners will serve four-year terms beginning Jan. 1.
Referendums and federal results
Roanoke voters also cast ballots in federal races and on three proposed constitutional amendments:
- U.S. Senate: Democrat Mark Warner carried the city with 71.1 percent of the vote. Warner won reelection statewide, according to the Associated Press.
- 6th District: Democrat Beth Macy carried the city over Republican incumbent Ben Cline, 70.0 percent to 29.9 percent.
- Question 1 (reproductive freedom): Roanoke voters favored the measure, 70.8 percent yes.
- Question 2 (marriage equality): Roanoke voters favored the measure, 66.2 percent yes.
- Question 3 (voting rights restoration): Roanoke voters favored the measure, 65.4 percent yes.
The post Moore, Clawson, Sanchez-Jones lead Roanoke City Council race in unofficial results first appeared on News/Talk 960-AM & FM-107.3 WFIR.
