Roanoke Council Democrats Show Support for Independent Candidate Over Party Nominee

Some Democrats on Roanoke City Council are expressing support for an independent Council candidate over a Democratic nominee, setting up a potential intraparty showdown. 

Councilwoman Trish White-Boyd and Councilman Peter Volosin, both Democrats, took to social media on the first day of early voting Friday with references to backing independent Evelyn Powers over Democratic nominee Benjamin Woods.

Mayor Sherman Lea, a Democrat who is retiring, also said in an interview with The Rambler Monday that he plans to vote for Powers, who ran as a Democrat for city treasurer for five terms.

“Normally I’m a straight Democratic guy,” Lea said. “However, I don't know Mr. Woods, but I do know Evelyn, and I'm inclined to support her.” 

Woods is running alongside Democratic nominees Terry McGuire and Phazhon Nash for City Council. Independent Cathy Reynolds and Republicans Nick Hagen and Jim Garrett are also running for Council. 

While nods from high-profile Democrats may give Powers a boost in blue-leaning Roanoke, such public endorsements run afoul of Democratic Party rules.

The Roanoke City Democratic Committee’s bylaws state that among a list of “Violations of Ethical Conduct” is “being found to have supported a candidate other than the Democratic nominee during a general election.”

That bylaw says an individual violating that rule “will receive a letter from the RCDC Chair detailing the offense and outlining possible remedies,” and if they object, “the Chair shall appoint a special committee to conduct an investigation” into the issue. The state party plan also says a committee member could be removed for publicly supporting a non-Democrat.

Mark Lazar, the city committee’s chairman, said in an email that the RCDC supports the primary process and Democratic nominees. By phone, Lazar said he could not provide any official response to a question about any alleged conduct violation.

“Every member of the committee, and especially every Democratic elected official has signed a pledge not to support any candidate who is opposed to one of our nominees,” Lazar wrote in a June report after the party’s primary. “That means that all of us have to take the public posture that we are not supporting any candidates other than our nominees.”

Asked whether he had any concern about backlash from the committee, Lea said, “sometimes you got to make those decisions. You know, if Woods wins and if he’s got enough support, fine. So be it. … Evelyn, to me, brings some things to the table that's needed.”

Roanoke has a history of Democrats becoming political independents. In 2006, the city committee moved to oust then-Mayor Nelson Harris and Councilman Bev Fitzpatrick over their support of a trio of successful independent Council candidates who ran on razing Victory Stadium in favor of building high school stadiums.

Woods said he wished White-Boyd the best in her retirement from Council and looked forward to working with Volosin on key tax and housing issues. 

Though Woods recently moved to Roanoke, the Shawsville native did work briefly as a consultant to White-Boyd’s 2023 campaign for state Senate. Campaign finance records show White-Boyd’s campaign paid Woods’s business, High Top Consulting, $6,000 in August of that year.

“After some conversations with former colleagues at the Virginia Democratic Senate Caucus and Emily’s List, I briefly consulted on the Councilwoman’s Senate campaign,” Woods said in an email. “I chose to step away because of concerns I had with the professional environment and culture.”

He declined to elaborate.

“No disrespect to any of the others at all running but, you know, I think they look at my 43 years of experience, my 23 years of audit background, my 20 years of treasury background,” Powers said of her supporters on Council. “I think they're looking at my financial background and what I can then bring to helping the other two [candidates] that would be brand new.”

In a Facebook post shared to his campaign account Friday, Volosin asserted that a vote for Councilwoman Stephanie Moon Reynolds, who is running as an independent for mayor, “is a vote for [David] Bowers,” the Republican nominee for mayor.

“We need to move forward with Joe Cobb,” the post read, referring to the vice mayor and Democratic nominee. “Also, vote for Evelyn Powers, she has great knowledge and experience and will be an asset on Council.”

The post included a photo of yard signs for Cobb, Nash, McGuire and Powers. Volosin did not respond to an inquiry.

“Vote early!” White-Boyd wrote on Facebook, accompanying a photo of yard signs, including those for McGuire, Nash and Powers. 

“Evelyn Powers is my colleague as she is currently the Democratic elected treasurer for the city of Roanoke,” White-Boyd said in an email, noting the experience she would bring to a new Council. “I have known her for decades. She and I have been members of the party for years and I have a personal relationship with her.”

Councilwoman Vivian Sanchez-Jones said she is a Democrat and is supporting the Democratic ticket for Council.

At a Council meeting earlier this month, she was among several members who praised Powers on her retirement from the city after 43 years of service. 

“I hope and pray that we will work together again,” Sanchez-Jones told Powers.

Correction (9/28/24) — An earlier version of this story misstated the number of times Evelyn Powers ran for city treasurer as a Democrat. It was five terms. We regret the error.