Hampton Roads Council Results: Local Leaders and the Work Ahead

The most useful question after a local election is what comes next for the places we call home. Council decisions shape public budgets, streets, land use and the services residents encounter every day. Across Hampton Roads, the November 3 returns offer a first look at the people positioned to take on that work.

November 4, 2026 update: The names below lead in the official state reporting system’s morning returns. Results remain unofficial; provisional and post-election ballot categories were not yet reported, and Chesapeake’s mailed-absentee category was partially reported at 11:08 a.m. Close contests are identified separately. The Virginia Department of Elections explains that local results become official after the local electoral board certifies them. Election results and the start of a new term are separate steps.

Start with your city below, then use CVA’s district maps and full vote totals to put the result in context. Our council and school-board roundup also covers education contests and three school-construction tax questions.

Virginia Beach

Six district contests were on the Virginia Beach council ballot. The leading group connects residents with six distinct parts of the city, from its rural south to its coastal and established residential neighborhoods. District 9 remains especially close.

• Barbara Henley — City Council · District 2: 8,537 votes.
• Janet Byrnes — City Council · District 4: 6,846 votes.
• Worth Remick — City Council · District 6: 10,792 votes.
• Stacy Cummings Jr. — City Council · District 8: 11,867 votes.
• Joash Schulman — City Council · District 9: 8,929 votes.
• Jennifer Rouse — City Council · District 10: 12,353 votes.

Close race: City Council · District 9 has a 360-vote gap between the leader and the next named candidate in this snapshot. CVA has not called this seat.

Official Virginia Beach returns · Explore Virginia Beach council results and districts

Norfolk

Norfolk’s five ward contests connect residents with geographically specific council seats. The ward results below do not replace the separate superward positions. A useful first step is to confirm both parts of your representation before following a neighborhood issue.

• Scott R. Guirlinger — City Council · Ward 1: 6,151 votes.
• Courtney R. Doyle — City Council · Ward 2: 14,370 votes.
• Mamie B. Johnson — City Council · Ward 3: 7,755 votes.
• J.P. Paige — City Council · Ward 4: 7,592 votes.
• Tommy Smigiel Jr. — City Council · Ward 5: 12,408 votes.

Official Norfolk returns · Explore Norfolk council results and districts

Chesapeake

Chesapeake’s council contest fills five seats citywide. The leading five candidates are listed together because these are at-large positions: each serves the city as a whole. A resident’s neighborhood does not assign them to just one of these councilmembers.

• Janelle St. Louis — City Council · citywide: 41,867 votes.
• Amanda L. Newins — City Council · citywide: 40,683 votes.
• Santiera Brown-Yearling — City Council · citywide: 40,443 votes.
• Dan Rosinski — City Council · citywide: 39,474 votes.
• Jeff Jefferies Jr. — City Council · citywide: 38,887 votes.

Close race: City Council · citywide has a 415-vote gap between the last leading candidate and the next named candidate in this snapshot. CVA has not called this seat.

Official Chesapeake returns · Explore Chesapeake council results and districts

Portsmouth

Portsmouth’s three-seat council race is citywide. Two candidates have clear separation in the morning standings, while the final available seat is separated by only 63 votes from the next named candidate. That last position should remain a developing result.

• Vernon Lamont Tillage, Jr. — City Council · citywide: 19,026 votes.
• Lisa L. Lucas-Burke — City Council · citywide: 15,244 votes.
• Bill Moody Jr. — City Council · citywide: 12,755 votes.

Close race: City Council · citywide has a 63-vote gap between the last leading candidate and the next named candidate in this snapshot. CVA has not called this seat.

Official Portsmouth returns · Explore Portsmouth council results and districts

Hampton

Hampton voters were choosing three councilmembers in a citywide contest. Residents can follow the full council’s agenda rather than looking for a neighborhood-specific council seat.

• Michelle Taylor Ferebee — City Council · citywide: 22,520 votes.
• Martha M. Mugler — City Council · citywide: 22,358 votes.
• Joe Griffith — City Council · citywide: 20,010 votes.

Official Hampton returns · Explore Hampton council results and districts

Newport News

Newport News had a mayoral contest and one council seat in each of its North, Central and South districts. These results concern the seats on this ballot; the other serving district members remain part of the council.

• Phillip D. Jones — Mayor — citywide: 39,392 votes.
• Curtis D. Bethany III — North District — Seat B: 15,335 votes.
• Cleon M. Long — Central District — Seat B: 9,244 votes.
• John R. Eley III — South District — Seat B: 11,298 votes.

Official Newport News returns · Explore Newport News council results and districts

Suffolk

Four Suffolk borough council races were on the ballot. The borough structure makes the official map especially useful: similarly named communities and a borough boundary are not necessarily interchangeable. The Suffolk Borough contest is still particularly close.

• Mary Ellen Hill — City Council · Chuckatuck Borough: 4,062 votes.
• Will J. Smith — City Council · Cypress Borough: 3,400 votes.
• Timothy J. Johnson — City Council · Holy Neck Borough: 6,386 votes.
• Tyron D. Riddick — City Council · Suffolk Borough: 1,894 votes.

Close race: Suffolk Borough has a 50-vote gap between the leader and the next named candidate in this snapshot. CVA has not called this seat.

Official Suffolk returns · Explore Suffolk council results and districts

Turn the election result into a useful local connection

A council profile is a starting point for understanding a person’s background and stated priorities. The next step is to follow the decisions themselves. For a project near your home or business, read the staff report and map alongside the agenda item. For a budget proposal, look for the department, funding source and timetable. For an everyday service problem, use the city’s service-request channel and keep the reference number.

Residents can make a public comment more useful by naming the place, explaining the practical effect and asking a focused question. Those habits help a conversation move from a broad concern to a decision that can be tracked.

In Virginia Beach, the City Clerk’s council page links current agendas, meeting information, recordings and the official roster. In every city, use the official council resources linked from CVA’s Serving now view for current officeholders while the election transition proceeds.

Explore more local reporting in Civic & Community, or return to the seven-city election guide for every council and school-board contest covered here.