Ed. — Archived from the Sunday, Feb. 18, print edition.
VIRGINIA BEACH — There are now three known potential candidates lined up for an anticipated special election for the District 8 seat on the City Council – Andy Baan, Stacy Cummings and Phillip Hines.
City Councilmember Chris Taylor, who represents the district now, is a candidate for mayor and must resign his council seat effective at the end of this year.
If all goes as seems likely, there would be a special election and the winner would serve the remaining two years on the term begun by Taylor.
Cummings, formerly the vice president and chief financial officer of Priority Auto Group, has confirmed he plans to run this year for a special election to the seat.
“I’ve always had an interest in doing something to serve the community, and this seems like a great opportunity to do that,” he said during an interview last month.
The Independent News first reported that Cummings and Hines, a residential real estate appraiser and vice president of the Thalia Civic League, both filed paperwork for the scheduled 2026 election. At the time, Hines confirmed he planned to run in a special election, but the newspaper had been unable to reach Cummings.
Cummings is a U.S. Army veteran and a certified public accountant, in addition to his business experience, and a past honorary King Neptune during the annual Neptune Festival.
Hines, in addition to his neighborhood service in Thalia, has served on city commissions and boards.
“This feels like a natural step to continue to make a positive impact on the community,” Hines said during an interview in January, “and to look out for the citizens, not only in District 8 but the whole city.”
And Baan, a retired Navy captain, filed campaign paperwork in late January, according to state election department records.
This past week, he confirmed he would run should there be a special election.
Baan was careful to note that no election has been called at this point, but he is preparing for that eventuality – including by speaking with people in the district.
“Yes, I’m running,” he noted, “and, in order to run, I’m walking.”
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