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After Luther Cifers won the special election Tuesday, he was asked what it meant to him. Some people when asked that question in the past have said a win is a vindication, about showing that hard work pays off. Others have brought up a message that voters liked. But for Cifers, the win meant something different. It was about responsibility. 

“A lot of people believed in me and decided to trust me with this responsibility,” Cifers wrote on social media, after being named the next State Senator for Virginia’s 10th District. “I will do everything in my power to ensure that their trust is well placed.”

It was that attitude, both on Election Day and even stretching back to the Republican debate back in November, that residents told The Herald helped them decide to vote for Cifers. They pointed to the fact that while other Republican candidates attacked each other, Cifers in the debate had focused on policy, not seeing the position as a privilege. Instead, he had seen it as a job working for residents. Tuesday night, he wrote on Facebook that his position hasn’t changed. 

“Citizens of the 10th District, I pledge to do everything I can to honor my commitments to you,” Cifers wrote. “I promise to be a uniter and a fighter and to do everything I can to help restore your trust, power, and authority.”

Breaking down the election numbers

The Prince Edward Republican finished with 58.73% of the vote in the race or 11,769 ballots, which included both early voting and Election Day numbers. His opponent, Democrat Jack Trammell, earned 8,248 votes, with 23 write-ins. Tuesday’s total of 20,040 overall ballots cast in the race was just under one-third of the amount in the last election for the seat, held back in November 2023. 

It’s worth noting that there were several factors contributing to the lower numbers this time around. First off, that earlier number was recorded as part of a regular election. The man who won the seat, John McGuire, went on to run and win a seat in the U.S. Congress this year, so a special election had to be held to fill his seat, before the General Assembly session started this week. Special elections always see lower turnouts. Beyond that, there was also the issue of Winter Storm Blair, which deposited several inches of snow in parts of the 10th District Sunday night and Monday morning.

Several communities still haven’t fully returned to normal from the storm, so for more than 20,000 people to brave the weather to cast a ballot is impressive. There were seven complete counties involved in the voting this time, with pieces of four more also included. This covered Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland and Powhatan, plus portions of Prince Edward, Hanover, Henrico and Louisa.

Goochland County had the biggest turnout, with 3,667 overall votes. A total of 52% of those Goochland ballots went to Cifers. He collected the strongest support in Amelia with 81%, Appomattox with 75%, Cumberland with 71% and Powhatan, with 68% of ballots cast. Here in Prince Edward, only five precincts were included. Those are 101 (Farmville), 502 (Buffalo Heights), 601 (Prospect), 701 (West End), and 801 (Center). The Prince Edward vote was almost a tie, with Trammell earning 507 and Cifers picking up 493. 

Luther Cifers says thanks 

Taking in the victory Tuesday night, Luther Cifers thanked his family, friends and campaign supporters for helping make the victory happen. He also thanked God for bringing him to this point. 

“I want to thank God for the inspiration and strength He has given me these past months and for my entire life,” Cifers wrote. “A very special thanks to my beautiful wife, Anastasiia, who is my true love and best friend and whose loyalty and support never cease to amaze me. And thanks so much to my campaign team and volunteers.” 

Cifers will have a quick turnaround in terms of getting started, as this marks the first week of the General Assembly session.