CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Voters in Chesapeake have made their choices in the race to serve on the city's School Board. 10 candidates ran for four at-large seats. Four incumbents sought to keep their seats against six challengers looking to bring new perspectives to the board.
Based on unofficial results, two of those incumbents won reelection while two others lost. As of Wednesday afternoon, incumbents Angie Swygert and Norman Pool lead with 13.67% and 12.17% respectively, while newcomers Malia Huddle and Elijah Colon garnered 11.95% and 11.48% of the vote.
The other two incumbent candidates, Thomas Mercer and Sam Boone, both received the fewest votes of the candidates.
All precincts are reported in, but provisional ballots remain outstanding on Wednesday.
Angie Swygert is a graduate of the Chesapeake Public School system. The incumbent was first elected to the board back in 2020 before she was selected as the current chair in 2023.
Her priorities include pushing for more engaging curricula free of negative social or political influence, maintaining safety in schools, and working with families.
"In the last few years we’ve navigated some of the most challenging times I believe any school board has faced. I'm committed to facing challenges thoughtfully, strategically," she said.
Former paramedic Norman Pool was first elected to the board in 2022. He is a Navy veteran with 23 years of service under his belt, and with another term on the board, he’s focused on school safety. During his first term, the board increased security and law enforcement presence in schools across the city.
“We fought First Amendment rights and we’ve made things work under that. We’ve thought the entire process of the Governor’s model policies and enacted that, added Sheriff’s officers to the schools," he said.
As a newly elected board member, Malia Huddle brings more than three decades of school experience with her. She mainly served as a counselor, but also as an academic advisor at Old Dominion University.
“I've worked with students from all walks of life. All socioeconomic backgrounds and a lot of different backgrounds for what comes after," she said.
Former PTA Vice President Elijah Colon built his campaign around making sure parents have a seat at the table. Now that he’s been elected to serve on the school board, Colon is focused on making sure families are involved in their students' learning experience.
“Prioritizing parents' voices and ensuring they have a seat at the table continuously. Not something we say but what we do and we adhere to it," he said.
Click here to visit our elections page with all of the information on Tuesday's elections and outcomes.
