It wasn’t long after the polls closed Tuesday night at 7 p.m. that first-time challengers Raekwon Moore and Danny Clawson, as well as incumbent Vivian Sanchez-Jones, learned they won the Democratic primary for city council and will be advancing to the general election on November 3.
There, they will face Republican Amanda Marko and three independents, David Bowers, Kathy Cohen and Stephanie Moon-Reynolds.
With 100 percent reporting, the results showed Moore garnered 30.3% percent of the vote, (4,344 votes). A breakdown of the other challengers is as follows: Clawson (22.7%, 3,251), Sanchez-Jones (20.1%, 2,877), Peter Volosin (13.5%, 1,938) and Harvey Brookins (13.4%, 1,928).
Clawson and Moore celebrated their wins at Evie’s Bistro and Bakery and Sakura Asian Fusion, respectively.
“I’m really proud of the race we ran,” Clawson said to her supporters. “We kept it positive and focused on the community. What this race really shows is that people are craving community.”
“I am excited that this community is so enthusiastic about this campaign. I’m honored to be on a ticket with Danny and Vivian. I’m thankful to the voters and the candidates for a hard-fought race,” Moore said.
Mayor Joe Cobb and former Mayor Sherman Lea Sr. endorsed Sanchez-Jones. Virginia Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke endorsed both Moore and Clawson. Sixth Congressional District Democratic candidate Beth Macy endorsed all three.
Last month, Volosin apologized to his colleague Phazhon Nash after saying he was “owned” by another council member he voted the same way with pertaining to a zoning issue. Volosin said he regretted the comment and wants people to know that it doesn’t represent his character.
In 2017, Brookins was charged with a misdemeanor count of assault and battery of a family member. After completing a two-year counseling program, the charges were dismissed.
Addressing the decade-old arrest, Brookins, whose wife Martina served as his campaign manager, said, “I understand how deeply domestic violence impacts families and communities. During that time of my life, I was going through a deeply personal and difficult time. While difficult, I made no excuse for my behavior. I sincerely apologize for the harm, concern and confusion this may have caused.”
In the days leading up to Tuesday’s election, all the candidates knocked on doors throughout the city to spread their message to as many people as possible.
After being appointed to the council in 2020, Sanchez-Jones, Roanoke’s first-ever Latina councilmember, won a four-year seat two years later. Efforts to reach her before the deadline were unsuccessful.
