The race for three seats on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors next year got off to an early start.
“I am throwing my hat back in the ring to run for the November 2013 election,” said Supervisor Rodney S. Thomas at the beginning of Wednesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. “I don’t want to be a lame duck.”
In 2009, Thomas defeated incumbent David Slutzky for the Rio District with 53 percent of the vote. In 2005, he sought the Republican nomination to the seat but lost that contest to former Albemarle School Board member Gary Grant. Prior to that, Thomas, who is the owner of Charlottesville Press, served two terms on the county Planning Commission.
Thomas said his biggest accomplishment in his current term has been to help secure transportation dollars from the state. He also takes credit for resurrecting the Western Bypass of U.S. 29.
“My goals in a second term would be to keep the economic vitality action plan going, to continue improving transportation, getting in better graces with the Virginia Department of Transportation, and just generally to do the same things,” Thomas said. “I’m such a private property rights person and I’ll continue to stay on that channel.”
Thomas begins his campaign with $2,516 in the bank, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Two other seats are also up in 2013.
“I don’t intend to make a decision until after the first of the year,” said independent Dennis S. Rooker, an independent who has represented the Jack Jouett District since being elected in 2001.
“Once you announce that you’re running, you’re running and your campaign is on and I don’t see a reason to advance that,” Rooker added.
“I’ll make my formal announcement at the first of the year,” said Duane E. Snow, the Republican supervisor representing the Samuel Miller District.
