Prince Edward Resident Seeks Senate Seat in Special Election

By Crystal Vandegrift, Staff Writer

A special election will be held on January 10 for the Senate District 22 seat.

Senate District 22 is open after State Senator Tom Garrett (R) defeated Jane Dittmar (D) in the congressional race for Virginia’s 5th district seat.

District 22 is covers all of Amherst County, Appomattox County, Buckingham County, Cumberland County, Fluvanna County, Goochland County, part of Louisa County, and part of the City of Lynchburg.

In addition to two others vying for the senate seat, Prince Edward County resident, Joe Hines is seeking the seat as an independent candidate.

Hines was born and raised on a tobacco and cattle farm in Prince Edward County. He’s a third generation Prince Edward County Resident, son of Ralph & Roselyn Hines.

According to Hines, he’s known the area and the people his entire life, making him the prime candidate for District 22.

Having grown up on the family farm in Rice, Hines helped raise tobacco, hay, corn, soybeans and cattle. He spent summers working for his dad’s Survey and Engineering firm and graduated from NC State with an engineering degree. In addition, he earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business while working full-time.

Republican Candidate Mark Peake is also seeking the District 22 Senate seat.

Peake is a graduate of Virginia Tech and Washington & Lee Law School and is an attorney with the law firm Caskie & Frost in Lynchburg, VA. Mark and his wife, Lila, have five children, including an 18-year-old set of quadruplets who are starting their Freshman year in colleges around Virginia, and a 16-year-old daughter.

Peake served on the Commonwealth Transportation Board by appointment of former Governor Bob McDonnell, and has been defending Constitutional rights in the courtroom for over 25 years. He is a member of the VCDL, a strong supporter of our 2nd Amendment rights, and a staunch believer in free and fair markets.

Buckingham native, Ryant L. Washington is seeking the District 22 seat as a democrat candidate. Washington has served in law enforcement since 1990. He is the former Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff of Fluvanna County. Washington also served as a Virginia State Trooper. His educational and training background consists of: a diploma in Business Administration from National Business College; student of the Criminal Justice Program at Piedmont Virginia Community College; and a Graduate of Executive Management Training at the National Sheriffs Institute. Courses on leadership at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service; and classes in the management of law enforcement agencies at the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville.

Washington is Past President of the Virginia Sheriff’s Association, past member on the Board of Directors for the National Sheriff’s Association and a former Commissioner of the National Commission on Forensic Science. He has served in a variety of leadership positions on local and statewide boards, committees and commissions.

In May of 2014, Washington was appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to serve as a Special Policy Advisor for Law Enforcement to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.