# Mayoral elections in Virginia Beach, Virginia

Elections in Virginia :
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2024 :
State government
Governor
1776
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C
U
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Lieutenant Governor
1973
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Attorney General
1993
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2013
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Senate
1967
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House of Delegates
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State elections
1989
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Ballot measures
Statewide
1970
1972
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Fairfax County
2016 :
Alexandria
Mayor
2012
2015
2018
2021
2024
(List) :
Henrico County
Commonwealth's Attorney
2011
2015
2019 :
Norfolk
Mayor
2006
2010
2014
2016
2020
2024 :
Richmond
Mayor
2016
2020
2024 :
Virginia Beach
Mayor
2008
2012
2016
2018
2020
City Council
2020 :
vte :
Mayoral elections in Virginia Beach are held every four years to elect the mayor of Virginia Beach.
All Virginia Beach municipal elections are required to be non-partisan, but most candidates can be affiliated with political parties. Virginia Beach uses a plurality voting system, with no possibility of runoffs.

## 2008

The 2008 Virginia Beach mayoral election took place on November 4, 2008, to elect the next mayor of Virginia Beach. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Meyera Oberndorf lost re-election to Republican candidate Will Sessoms (ending Oberndorf's two-decade tenure as the city's mayor).
Will Sessoms was endorsed by Doug McCain, who is a Virginia Beach resident and John McCain's son. By December 31, 2007, Sessoms had a US$321,000 to $5,600 fundraising edge.

### Results

2008 Virginia Beach's mayoral election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Will Sessoms | 74,394 | 38.97 |
| | Nonpartisan | Meyera Oberndorf | 67,551 | 35.38 |
| | Nonpartisan | John D. Moss | 29,542 | 15.47 |
| | Nonpartisan | Scott Taylor | 19,165 | 10.04 |
| | | Write-in | 262 | 0.14 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 190,914 | |

## 2012

The 2012 Virginia Beach mayoral election took place on November 6, 2012, to elect the mayor of Virginia Beach. Incumbent Republican Mayor Will Sessoms won re-election with 69.01% of the vote.

### Results

2012 Virginia Beach mayoral election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Will Sessoms | 124,263 | 69.01 |
| | Nonpartisan | Richard W. “RK” Kowalewitch | 34,145 | 18.96 |
| | Nonpartisan | Walter W. Erb | 20,763 | 11.53 |
| | | Write-in | 906 | 0.50 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 180,077 | |

## 2016

The 2016 Virginia Beach mayoral election took place on November 8, 2016, to elect the mayor of Virginia Beach. Incumbent Republican Mayor Will Sessoms ran for a third term. He was re-elected with 54.1% of the vote.

### Results

2016 Virginia Beach's mayoral election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Will Sessoms | 101,251 | 54.1 |
| | Nonpartisan | Richard W. "RK" Kowalewitch | 36,329 | 19.41 |
| | Nonpartisan | A. M. "Don" Weeks | 34,449 | 18.41 |
| | Nonpartisan | George Furman III | 14,238 | 7.61 |
| | | Write-in | 898 | 0.48 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 187,307 | |

## 2018 special

The 2018 Virginia Beach mayoral special election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next mayor of Virginia Beach. concurrently with various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican mayor Will Sessoms resigned, which led to the special election. Republican candidate Bobby Dyer defeated Democratic candidate M. Ben Davenport with 51.80% of the vote.
Dyer was a physical therapist as well as a professor of government at Regent University, and M. Ben Davenport had served as an at-large member of the Virginia Beach City Council since 2015.
Dyer won despite being outspent by Davenport 5 to 1.

### Results

2018 Virginia Beach's mayoral special election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Bobby Dyer | 82,201 | 51.80 |
| | Nonpartisan | M. Ben Davenport | 75,693 | 47.70 |
| | | Write-in | 789 | 0.50 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 158,683 | 100.00 |

## 2020

The 2020 Virginia Beach mayoral election took place on November 3, 2020, to elect the mayor of Virginia Beach. Incumbent Republican Mayor Bobby Dyer defeated Democrat Jody Wagner, who was the former Virginia Secretary of Finance and Virginia State Treasurer, with 51.64% of the vote.
Bobby Dyer was first elected in a 2018 special election held due to the resignation of Mayor Will Sessoms.

### Background

On February 27, 2020, city council member Aaron Rouse announced his intention to seek office. When reached by The Virginian-Pilot for comment on the announcement, Bobby Dyer confirmed that he would be seeking re-election. On May 30, 2020, Rouse announced that he was dropping out of the race citing the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for ending his campaign. On June 9, 2020, former Virginia Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner announced that she would challenge Dyer in the upcoming election. On June 12, 2020, businessman Richard W. "RK" Kowalewitch announced that he would also challenge Dyer.
On October 8, 2020, the Virginia Beach Forum conducted a series of interviews with Dyer, Wagner, and Kowalewitch.
On November 4, 2020, results confirmed that Dyer had won the election and been reelected to a second term. That morning, Wagner conceded to Dyer, saying in a statement that they "both agreed that what our city needs right now is unity, and I look forward to working with him to move our city forward and address the critical challenges we face. While I am disappointed in the outcome of the election, I am incredibly grateful for the support from friends, family, and our entire community."

### Candidates

| Candidate | Experience | Logo | Campaign announced | Party |
| Bobby Dyer | Mayor of Virginia Beach (2018–present) Virginia Beach City Council Member (2004–2018) | (Website) | February 27, 2020 | Republican |
| Jody Wagner | Virginia Secretary of Finance (2006–2008) Virginia State Treasurer (2002–2006) | (Website) | June 9, 2020 | Democratic |
| Richard "RK" Kowalewitch | Businessman | | June 12, 2020 | Republican |
* ↑ Officially nonpartisan

### Withdrew before the election

| Candidate | Experience | Logo | Campaign announced | Campaign suspended | Party | Party | Refs |
| Aaron Rouse | Virginia Beach City Council Member (2019–2022) | (Website) | February 27, 2020 | May 30, 2020 | | Democratic Party | |
* ↑ Officially nonpartisan

### Endorsements

Governors
* Bob McDonnell, governor of Virginia (2010–2014)
State legislators
* Glenn Davis, Virginia delegate from District 84 (2014–present), Member of the Virginia Beach City Council, Rose Hall District (2009–2013)
* Bill DeSteph, Virginia state senator from District 8 (2016–present), Virginia Delegate from District 82 (2014–2016), Member of Virginia Beach City Council, At Large (2006–2013)
* Jen Kiggans, Virginia state senator from District 7 (2020–2023)
* Barry Knight, Virginia delegate from District 81 (2009–present)
* Jason Miyares, Virginia delegate from District 82 (2016–2022)
Local officials
* Leigh Henderson, Virginia Beach treasurer (2018–present)
* Louis Jones, member of Virginia Beach City Council, Bayside District (1983–present)
* John Moss, member of Virginia Beach City Council, at large (2011–present)
* Will Sessoms, mayor of Virginia Beach (2009–2018)
* Tina Sinnen, clerk of the Virginia Beach Circuit Court (2019–present)
* Colin Stolle, Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach (2013–present)
* Ken Stolle, sheriff of Virginia Beach (2010–present), Virginia state senator from District 8 (1992–2010)
* Jim Wood, vice mayor of Virginia Beach (2018–present), member of Virginia Beach City Council, Lynnhaven District (2002–present)
Organizations
* African American Political Action Council (AA PAC)
* Coastal Virginia Building Industry Association
* Hampton Roads Black Caucus
* Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce
* Hampton Roads Realtors Association
* Republican Party of Virginia Beach
* Virginia Beach Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 8
* Virginia Beach Hospitality PAC
* Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association, Local 34
* Virginia Beach Professional Firefighters Local 2924
* Virginia Beach Young Republicans
U.S. senators
* Tim Kaine, U.S. senator from Virginia (2013–present)
* Mark Warner, U.S. senator from Virginia (2009–present)
U.S. representatives
* Elaine Luria, U.S. representative from VA-02 (2019–2023)
* Bobby Scott, U.S. representative from VA-03 (1993–present)
Governors
* Ralph Northam, governor of Virginia (2018–2022)
Attorneys general
* Mark Herring, attorney general of Virginia (2014–2022)
State legislators
* Alex Askew, Virginia delegate from District 85 (2020–2022)
* Hala Ayala, Virginia delegate from District 51 (2018–2022)
* Lamont Bagby, Virginia delegate from District 74 (2015–present)
* Betsy Carr, Virginia delegate from District 69 (2010–present)
* Kelly Convirs-Fowler, Virginia delegate from District 21 (2018–present)
* Eileen Filler-Corn, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2020–2022), Virginia Delegate from District 41 (2010–present)
* Jennifer Caroll Foy, Virginia delegate from District 2 (2018–2020)
* Nancy Guy, Virginia delegate from District 83 (2020–present)
* Cliff Hayes, Virginia delegate from District 77 (2017–present)
* Clinton Jenkins, Virginia delegate from District 76 (2020–present)
* Jay Jones, Virginia delegate from District 89 (2018–2022)
* Lynwood Lewis, Virginia state senator from District 6 (2014–present)
* Joe Lindsey, Virginia delegate from District 90 (2014–present)
* Mamie Locke, Virginia state senator from District 2 (2004–present)
* Bobby Mathieson, Virginia delegate from District 21 (2008–2010)
* Delores McQuinn, Virginia delegate from District 70 (2009–present)
* Kathleen Murphy, Virginia Delegate from District 34 (2015–present)
* Don Scott, Virginia delegate from District 80 (2020–present)
* Lionell Spruill, Virginia state senator from District 5 (2017–present)
* Cheryl Turpin, Virginia delegate from District 85 (2018–2020)
Local officials
* Beverly Anderson, member of the Virginia Beach School Board, at large (2013–present)
* John Bell, retired deputy chief of the Virginia Beach Police Department
* Tony Bell, retired captain in the Virginia Beach Police Department
* Sharon Felton, member of the Virginia Beach School Board, Beach District (2015–present)
* Dorothy Holtz, member of the Virginia Beach School Board, at large (2011–present)
* Phillip Kellam, commissioner of the Revenue for Virginia Beach (1998–present)
* Frank LaPorte, retired captain in the Virginia Beach Police Department and former president of the Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association
* Andria McClellan, member of the Norfolk City Council, Super Ward 6 (2016–present)
* Aaron Rouse, member of the Virginia Beach City Council, At Large (2019–2022)
* Guy Tower, member of the Virginia Beach City Council, Beach District (2019–present)
Individuals
* L.D. Britt, Brickhouse Professor of Surgery at the Eastern Virginia Medical School
* Harry Lester, former chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (2016–2019), former president of Eastern Virginia Medical School (2005–2013)
* John Malbon, president and CEO of PAPCO Inc.
* Mike Powers, co-host of The Mike Powers & Woo Woo Show, a local radio show on 94.9 The Point
* Mary Katherine "Woo Woo" Wood, co-host of The Mike Powers & Woo Woo Show, a local radio show on 94.9 The Point
* Dubby Wynne, former CEO of Landmark Communications, Inc.
Organizations
* Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 110
* Virginia Beach Democratic Committee
* Virginia Beach Education Association - Political Action Committee of Educators (VBEA-PACE)

### Results

2020 Virginia Beach's mayoral election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Nonpartisan | Bobby Dyer (incumbent) | 113,567 | 51.64 |
| | Nonpartisan | Jody Wagner | 96,400 | 43.83 |
| | Nonpartisan | Richard W. "RK" Kowalewitch | 9,570 | 4.35 |
| | | Write-in | 387 | 0.18 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 219,924 | 100 |

## 2024

Elections in Virginia :
Federal government
U.S. President
1788–89
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
Dem
2004
2008
Dem
GOP
2012
2016
Dem
2020
Dem
2024
Dem
GOP
U.S. Senate
1788
1790 (sp)
1791
1792 (sp)
1793
1794 (sp)
1796
1798
1799 (sp)
1803
1803 (sp)
1804
1804 (sp)
1808
1809
1811
1814
1814 (sp)
1815 (sp)
1816
1816 (sp)
1819 (sp)
1821
1822 (sp)
1823
1824
1824 (sp)
1827
1829
1832 (sp)
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1834 (sp)
1835
1836 (sp)
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1837 (sp)
1839
1840
1841 (sp)
1845
1845 (sp)
1846
1847 (sp)
1850
1852
1856
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1861 (sp)
1863
1865
1865 (sp)
1870
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1893 (sp)
1894
1899
1899
1904
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1910
1911
1912
1912 (sp)
1916
1918
1920 (sp)
1922
1924
1928
1930
1933 (sp)
1934
1936
1940
1942
1946
1946 (sp)
1948
1952
1954
1958
1960
1964
1966
1966 (sp)
1970
1972
1976
1978
1982
1984
1988
1990
1994
1996
2000
2002
2006
2008
2012
2014
2018
2020
2024
2026
U.S. House
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1790
9th sp
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1948
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1974
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5th sp
1990
1991 (7th sp)
1992
1994
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1998
2000
2001 (4th sp)
2002
8th
2004
2006
2007 (1st sp)
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
10th
2020
2022
2023 (4th sp)
2024 :
State government
Governor
1776
1851
1855
1859
1863
C
U
1869
1873
1877
1881
1885
1889
1893
1897
1901
1905
1909
1913
1917
1921
1925
1929
1933
1937
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
Lieutenant Governor
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
Attorney General
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
Senate
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
2027
House of Delegates
1975
1977
1979
1981
1982
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025
State elections
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2023
2025 :
Ballot measures
Statewide
1970
1972
1974
1976
1977
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1987
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
Fairfax County
2016 :
Alexandria
Mayor
2012
2015
2018
2021
2024
(List) :
Henrico County
Commonwealth's Attorney
2011
2015
2019 :
Norfolk
Mayor
2006
2010
2014
2016
2020
2024 :
Richmond
Mayor
2016
2020
2024 :
Virginia Beach
Mayor
2008
2012
2016
2018
2020
City Council
2020 :
vte :
The 2024 Virginia Beach mayoral election took place on November 5, 2024, to elect the mayor of Virginia Beach. Incumbent Republican Mayor Bobby Dyer announced his re-election bid in 2023. He was reelected with 40.9% of the vote over four opponents.
The mayoral election took place alongside other elections, including races for city council.

### Candidates

* Bobby Dyer, incumbent mayor (since 2018) (party affiliation: Republican)
* Richard W. "RK" Kowalewitch, businessman and perennial candidate (party affiliation: Republican)
* John Moss, former at-large city councilor (2011–2022) and candidate for mayor in 2008 (party affiliation: Republican)
* Chris Taylor, city councilor for the 8th district (since 2023) (party affiliation: Republican)
* Sabrina Wooten, city councilor for the 6th district (2018–2023) (party affiliation: Democratic)

#### Withdrawn

* Cheryl Turpin, former state delegate and Democratic nominee for SD-7 in 2019 (party affiliation: Democratic)

### Results

2024 Virginia Beach mayoral general election :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Bobby Dyer (incumbent) | Bobby Dyer (incumbent) | 88,975 | 40.94% |
| Sabrina Wooten | Sabrina Wooten | 68,987 | 31.74% |
| John Moss | John Moss | 36,553 | 17.1% |
| Chris Taylor | Chris Taylor | 16,767 | 7.71% |
| Richard Kowalewitch | Richard Kowalewitch | 5,369 | 2.47% |
| Write-in | Write-in | 685 | 0.32% |
| Total votes | Total votes | 217,336 | 100.00 |