Villanueva holds lead as review progresses in 21st District

VIRGINIA BEACH

Republican Ron Villanueva held on to his 16-vote lead in the 21st District race Wednesday after local election officials reviewed most of the ballot totals. Still, Democrats and supporters of Del. Bobby Mathieson said a recount is likely.

"I don't see any way we're not going to a recount," said Ollie Bates, chairman of the Virginia Beach Democratic Party.

Mathieson and Villanueva both stayed out of the public eye and away from the Beach's voter registrar's office Wednesday. But campaign workers and attorneys hovered as city election officials counted the provisional ballots and ensured that the votes cast matched with the number of names in the poll book.

Election officials received eight provisional ballots in the 21st District and are researching to make sure those are eligible voters. Provisional ballots are used as backups mostly by returning service members or people who have lost their absentee ballots.

Officials will decide whether to accept the provisional ballots later this week when they check the counts on the absentee ballots, said Pat Harrington, the Beach's voter registrar.

Villanueva's supporters said they were confident he had won the election, since the margin of victory was twice the number of provisional ballots still left unopened.

"For all intents and purposes, this race is over," said Gary C. Byler, the Republican Party's 2nd Congressional District chairman and a lawyer. "With electronic machines, the chances of vote totals changing is miniscule."

Villanueva sent his supporters an e-mail Wednesday morning under the title of "delegate-elect."

Mathieson, however, would not concede.

"I am confident that after all the votes are counted I will be heading back to Richmond next year," he wrote in an e-mail to his backers.

Under state law, the losing candidate can request a recount as long as the vote margin is less than 1 percent of the total ballots cast. If the difference is 0.5 percent or less, the city has to pick up the tab.

In this race, the 16 votes represent a tenth of 1 percent of the vote.

Mathieson can't ask for a recount until after the vote is certified Nov. 23, said James Alcorn, Virginia State Board of Elections deputy secretary.

Any recount would probably take place in early December, Alcorn said.

Deirdre Fernandes, (757) 222-5121, deirdre.fernandes@pilotonline.com