It is one of seven residence districts under the city’s hybrid local election system of district seats and at large seats. Candidates for district seats on the City Council or School Board must live within the district, but the winner is chosen by voters at large, meaning all city voters, regardless of whether they live within the district.
This office has a four-year term. Following the end of the old borough system, the first election in the Princess Anne District was held in May 1998.
In May 1998, Henley defeated Tim Jackson, earning 61 percent to Jackson’s 39 percent. This was the first election in the Princess Anne District.
The district is represented by Barbara Henley on the City Council and Kim Melnyk on the School Board. Henley, a farmer and former school teacher, has represented the district for most of its existence
City Council Elections
In May 1998, Henley defeated Tim Jackson, earning 61 percent to Jackson’s 39 percent. This was the first election in the Princess Anne District following the end of the borough voting system in Virginia Beach.
In May 2002, businessperson Jim Reeve defeated Henley by 500 votes, or 50 percent to 49 percent. Reeve served four years in the seat.
In May 2006, Henley defeated Reeve to return to office in the Princess Anne District. This time, Henley earned 64 percent of the vote to nearly 36 percent for Reeve.
In November 2010, Henley defeated challenger Tanya Bullock. With the district election shifting to November from May, turnout rose to 42.1 percent from nearly 17 percent in the 2006 citywide elections.
In November 2014, Henley defeated challenger Pieri Burton with nearly 76 percent of the vote for Henley compared to 23 percent for Burton.
In November 2018, Henley defeated challengers Tim Worst, Karen Beardslee Kwasny and Burton to win reelection. Burton, who had challenged Henley in 2014, dropped out of the race, but his name appeared on the 2018 ballot because it had been printed. A fifth candidate, David Fowler, initially filed paperwork to run but dropped out of the race before ballots were printed.
School Board Elections
In November 2018, Melnyk, a former educator and businessperson, won reelection to the district seat, defeating Paul Day, a former city police officer. Melnyk earned 59.7 percent of the vote.
In November 2014, Melnyk challenged and defeated incumbent William Brunke, an accountant, in a three-candidate race. Melnyk won 37.6 percent of the vote, Brunke won 36 percent and challenger Frances Thompson won 26 percent. Brunke had broad support among elected officials, and he had been endorsed by The Virginian-Pilot.
In November 2010, Brunke ran unopposed.
Sources:
Virginia Beach Department of Voter Registration & Elections
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