BRISTOL, Va. – A car dealer with no previous political experience plans to mount a write-in campaign for one of two Bristol Virginia School Board seats up for grabs in the May election.
Trevor Leonard, 40, who owns Leonard Motors in Bristol Tennessee, said he will seek the spot being vacated by Chairman Butch Tolley in the city’s May 6 election.
Tolley won’t seek re-election to a third four-year term, and the only name that will appear on the ballot is Vice Chairman Ronald Cameron.
"I’m starting to put everything together," Leonard said. "I have my Web site up and running, and I’m getting yard signs, flyers and an e-mail blast ready. I’m trying to get my name out there in the community."
Under Virginia law, write-in candidates need only be qualified for the seat they’re seeking, General Registrar Penny Limburg said. They must have lived in Virginia for at least a year, be a registered voter, not be "judgementally incapacitated" and not be a convicted felon.
Leonard, who lives on Douglas Street and has two children enrolled in city schools, said he has considered running for office in the past.
"I’ve thought about it for quite a while, but it’s tough to unseat incumbents," Leonard said. "You have to put a lot of time into it, and incumbents are so deeply entrenched."
The candidate is a Bristol native and John Battle High School graduate who attended the Florida Institute of Technology.
"Our school system is very good, but there is always room for improvement," Leonard said.
dmcgee@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2532
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