Blacksburg Local

What's on the Ballot in Blacksburg: November 3, 2026 Election

The races below are read from Montgomery County, the state election office and Ballotpedia. What each candidate says is quoted from their own campaign site or a questionnaire they answered, with the link beside it. This page does not recommend anyone.

Election day is November 3, 2026. Last updated October 4, 2026. For polling places, hours and ID rules, see voting in Blacksburg.

Federal

U.S. Senate, Virginia

Candidate list from Virginia Department of Elections [web:2]

Mark R. Warner(Democratic)Incumbent

Campaign website

Warner is a technology entrepreneur who co-founded the company that became Nextel. He served as Virginia governor from 2002 to 2006 and has represented Virginia in the U.S. Senate since 2009. (VPM candidate survey, About Mark Warner)

In their own words
  • Housing costs: Warner says he supports expanding housing supply and lowering costs through measures including faster permitting, rehabilitation of existing buildings, and support for first-time homebuyers. Mark Warner campaign
  • Data centers: Warner says data-center companies should disclose their energy and water use, pay for grid upgrades they require, and meet efficiency standards to qualify for tax benefits. VPM candidate survey
  • Abortion access: Warner supports the Women’s Health Protection Act, which he says would guarantee access to abortion care nationwide. VPM candidate survey

Bert Mizusawa(Republican)

Campaign website

Mizusawa is a retired U.S. Army major general and former senior federal government executive. His campaign biography says he is a West Point graduate and earned a JD from Harvard Law School and a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. (Bert Mizusawa campaign biography)

U.S. House, District 9

Candidate list from Virginia Department of Elections [web:2]

Joy A. Powers(Democratic)

Campaign website

Powers is a fourth-generation cattle farmer, small-business owner, and mother from Bedford County. Her campaign biography also describes her as a longtime Bedford County community member and says she has worked on rural health care, public education, and agricultural issues. (WVTF candidate profile, Joy Powers campaign)

In their own words
  • Rural health: Powers says she wants to protect rural hospitals and clinics, including through changes to rural reimbursement and support for the 340B program. Joy Powers campaign
  • Family farms: She says a farm bill should better serve family-scale and independent producers, with a strong safety net, fair access to federal programs, support for local food systems, and the right to repair farm equipment. Joy Powers campaign
  • Energy costs: Powers says she would address energy costs by challenging monopoly utilities and requiring data centers to bear more of the costs associated with their electricity demand. Joy Powers campaign

H. Morgan Griffith(Republican)Incumbent

Campaign website

Griffith has represented Virginia’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House since 2011 and previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1994 to 2011. Before entering Congress, he practiced law in Southwest Virginia for nearly three decades. (House Energy and Commerce Committee biography)

In their own words
  • Energy policy: Griffith supports an “all of the above” energy approach and says coal is a vital part of it; his campaign also describes efforts to reclaim abandoned mine sites. Morgan Griffith campaign
  • Election rules: Griffith supports requiring voter identification, removing deceased people from voter rolls, and requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. Morgan Griffith campaign
  • Opioid response: Griffith says he supports policies to reduce opioid addiction, including improving prescription drug monitoring to help prevent over-prescription. Morgan Griffith campaign

County

Commonwealth's Attorney, Montgomery County

Candidate list from Virginia Department of Elections [web:4]

Sheriff, Montgomery County

Candidate list from Virginia Department of Elections [web:4]

Tim Andrew Brown(Democratic)

Brown is a lieutenant with the Christiansburg Police Department and has spent more than 26 years in local law enforcement. His roles have included patrol, Special Operations, accreditation, and investigations; he holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Radford University and graduated from the FBI National Academy. (Radford News Journal)

In their own words
  • Community trust: His campaign priorities include expanding community outreach, ensuring consistent oversight of police personnel, and strengthening public confidence between law enforcement and the community. Cardinal News
  • Accreditation: Brown said he wants to move the department from state to national accreditation, using what he described as the best practices, policies, and procedures. WDBJ7

Robert G. Page(Republican)

Campaign website

Page joined the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in 2013 and has served in its jail, civil process, patrol, and criminal warrants divisions. He has also served on the U.S. Marshals Service Western District of Virginia Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and in the U.S. Marines, including a deployment during Operation Desert Storm; he became interim sheriff in 2026. (News Messenger)

In their own words
  • Department priorities: His campaign priorities include public safety, deputy welfare, servant leadership, partnerships among agencies, school safety, and jail rehabilitation and reentry. WSLS
  • Deputy support: Page’s stated priorities include providing mental health resources to deputies and improving rehabilitation opportunities for people leaving jail. Cardinal News
  • Community policing: His listed priorities include focusing on crime prevention alongside enforcement and strengthening community-policing initiatives to build trust and cooperation. News Messenger

City

Blacksburg Town Council, special election (2 seats)

Candidate list from Virginia Department of Elections [web:4]

Leslie C. Harwood(Independent)

Campaign website

Harwood says she has called Blacksburg home for most of the past 26 years and first came to town as a Virginia Tech student. She describes herself as a three-time Virginia Tech graduate and a program manager and strategic consultant who has worked with universities, government agencies, and private partners. (Leslie Harwood campaign site)

In their own words
  • Transparency: Harwood says she wants greater transparency and communication, including helping residents understand decisions before they are made. Leslie Harwood campaign site
  • Town planning: She identifies thoughtful long-term planning for the future of the community as a priority. Leslie Harwood campaign site
  • Town–university relations: Harwood said she wants to repair the relationship between Blacksburg and Virginia Tech, and described open communication throughout the decision-making process as important. Cardinal News

Joel L. Goodhart(Independent)

Campaign website

Goodhart was born and raised in the New River Valley and graduated from Virginia Tech, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He has worked as an operations manager for the YMCA at Virginia Tech and as a Montgomery County Public Schools technology teacher; he serves on Blacksburg Town Council and lives in Blacksburg with his family. (Cardinal News, Joel Goodhart campaign site)

In their own words
  • Street safety: Goodhart supports safer, slower streets designed for people walking, rolling, driving, or using public transit, with the aims of reducing accidents and improving access. Joel Goodhart campaign site
  • Growth: He supports productive growth that balances vibrant neighborhoods, active and public transit, a strong tax base, and social resilience, while discouraging car-dependent sprawl. Joel Goodhart campaign site
  • Housing: He advocates housing and zoning reform to expand access to affordable, quality housing and a wider range of housing options. Joel Goodhart campaign site

Ballot measures

Proposed Constitutional Amendment Question 1

Would protect personal decisions about reproductive care, including abortion, while allowing specified third-trimester restrictions with exceptions when the pregnant person's health is at risk or the pregnancy is not viable.

Candidate list from Virginia Department of Elections [web:16]

Proposed Constitutional Amendment Question 2

Would remove the state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and affirm equal treatment of lawful marriages between two adults regardless of sex, gender, or race.

Candidate list from Virginia Department of Elections [web:16]

Proposed Constitutional Amendment Question 3

Would establish a fundamental right to vote, provide for automatic restoration of voting rights after release from felony incarceration, and revise the constitutional voting restriction concerning mental incapacity.

Candidate list from Virginia Department of Elections [web:16]