Ellen Campbell wins 24th District special election

AMHERST, Va. (WDBJ) - UPDATE: Ellen Campbell, widow of late Delegate Ronnie Campbell, has won the 24th District special election, taking 63% of the vote versus Jade Harris, with 54 of 60 precincts reporting as of Wednesday morning.

EARLIER STORY: - For Republican Ellen Campbell and Democrat Jade Harris, the last three weeks have been a whirlwind.

“It’s been a short turnaround, three very short weeks, but we’ve done everything we can possibly do to touch everyone we possibly can,” Campbell told WDBJ7 Monday morning in Amherst.

“We’ve been hitting the doors hard. We’ve been calling. We’ve been texting. We’ve been sending postcards and mailers. I mean the amount of material we’ve been able to get disseminated in such a short time is incredible,” Harris said when we caught up with her Saturday in Lexington.

Voters in the 24th House District head to the polls Tuesday, January 10. The special election will determine who succeeds Del. Ronnie Campbell, who died in December.

Campbell says she and her late husband were a team. Her decision to run is a way to honor Del. Campbell’s legacy and continue to work for the issues that mattered to both of them, including their opposition to abortion and support for second amendment rights.

“We need to keep our communities safe. We need to make sure that people in the area can afford to live, can afford to put food on the table,” Campbell said in an interview. “We need to ensure our schools are well-funded and we attract and retain the most high-quality educators. Those are the things that matter to people the most.”

Harris has served as Vice Mayor of Glasgow and says her youth and her experience are strong assets to represent the district and to make a difference in Richmond.

“So my priorities are expanding mental health care access, protecting reproductive rights, defending education and public education in particular as it’s under attack right now, workers’ protections, LGBTQ+ protections,” Harris said in an interview. “I’ve got a whole laundry list of stuff I would like to see accomplished.”

The polls open Tuesday morning at 6 and will remain open until 7 p.m.

The winner won’t have a long time to prepare for the session ahead.

The candidate who prevails Tuesday night will be sworn in Wednesday when the General Assembly session gets underway in Richmond.

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