In the far-flung 64th House District, a "nice guy" won.
Del. William K. Barlow, in office since 1992, narrowly won re-election Tuesday night, with barely more than 50 percent of the vote.
Barlow, a Democrat, has seen opposition in the past several elections. This year, however, his opponents were home-grown.
He faced lawyer Stan D. Clark, a Republican, and retired Army officer Albert P. Burckard Jr. Both Clark and Burckard live in Isle of Wight County. Barlow resides in Smithfield.
On his campaign Web site, Clark referred to Barlow, 73, as a "nice guy," but then noted that Barlow supports the coal-fired energy plant that Old Dominion Electric Cooperative wants to build in the small town of Dendron, in Surry County.
Barlow took 65 percent of the ballots cast in Surry.
The disagreement between Clark and Barlow turned into a regional television battle, with TV ads pai d for by both major political parties. With all 35 precincts reporting, the 54-year-old Clark received about 47 percent of the votes overall.
Burckard, who spends most of his time volunteering for the Carrollton Volunteer Fire Department, barely campaigned and received about 2 percent of the vote. An Independent, Burckard, 64, said he ran to bring attention to his party's support of a light rail system in the region.
The district covers Surry, Isle of Wight, James City and Southampton counties and the cities of Williamsburg and Franklin.
In the past, Barlow's major competition has come from the Williamsburg area.
Linda McNatt, (757) 222-5561, linda.mcnatt@pilotonline.com
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