GOP's Morris tops 10-term incumbent in 64th District

SMITHFIELD

William Barlow, the Democratic incumbent for the 64th District of the House of Delegates, lost his seat to Republican opponent Richard Morris on Tuesday night, ending 20 years in the General Assembly. When it became clear Barlow would lose his home county of Isle of Wight, his campaign staff knew there was no way he could win.

“It’s over,” said campaign manager David Furr at 8:48 p.m., when early results came in showing Barlow down by 2,000 votes in Prince George County. He was already trailing by 900 votes in his home county of Isle of Wight.

“I want to congratulate you and wish you well on your new job,” he told Morris when he called to concede the race. “If I can be of any help, I’d be glad to provide it.”

Morris, who was at the Smithfield Hampton Inn, attributed his victory to a campaign that spoke to the people rather than the media.

“I took my case to the people, and to them, I say thank you,” he said. “...Now I plan to do for the people what I promised to do.”

Barlow voiced his surprise, not at the loss, but at the margin.

“I want to thank the voters who elected me as their representative for the last 20 years. It’s been an honor to serve them.”

A couple of minor glitches with voting equipment were reported in Isle of Wight County. General Registrar Lisa Betterton attributed the early morning problems to an operator error with an electronic poll book that resulted in a slowdown of voting equipment.

“It was ironed out quickly and didn’t affect voters at all,” Betterton said.

Barlow was seeking an 11th term in a Republican-leaning district that underwent substantial change in the latest round of redistricting.

It stretches from southern Suffolk to the outskirts of Petersburg and includes Franklin and parts of Isle of Wight, Prince George, Surry, Southampton and Sussex counties.

Morris, former chairman of the Isle of Wight County Republican Party, was seeking office for the first time. He maintained a low profile throughout the campaign, declining news interviews and passing up a candidate forum in Isle of Wight, which holds 44 percent of the district’s voters.

In campaign ads and appearances, he promoted himself as “not a career politician” and vowed to support Gov. Bob McDonnell in Richmond. His ads attempted to link Barlow with President Barack Obama and accused Barlow of supporting higher taxes and increased spending.

Morris amassed a substantial campaign war chest, mostly from Republican Party committees, and outspent his opponent more than 2-to-1. Through Oct. 26, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, Morris received $411,392 in campaign contributions. All but $43,000 of it came from party sources. His campaign spent $405,225.

Barlow touted his 19 years in office as a fiscal conservative who has worked with members of both parties to promote public education and transportation. He said “creating jobs” was his top priority.

Barlow collected $171,784, about half of it from the state Democratic Party, according to VPAP, and spent $168,391.