Latest news with #ChesapeakeSheriff
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After losing in primary, Chesapeake Sheriff David Rosado to run a write-in campaign
CHESAPEAKE — Just one week after losing to challenger Wallace Chadwick in the Republican primary, Sheriff David Rosado announced late Tuesday that he will be a write-in candidate for the job in the November election. The sheriff also reported he'll run as an Independent, and that he was resigning from the local Republican party, which he accused of campaigning against him. 'I'm not conceding. I'm not stepping aside. And I'm not going to pretend that what just happened in Chesapeake was fair,' Rosado wrote in a statement. 'In the Republican Primary, there was over 12,000 votes casted for a position that serves over 253,000 residents. Because there were no Democratic or Independent candidates on the ballot in November, voters who participated in the Democratic primary or received a Democratic ballot had no say in choosing the next Sheriff. That is not a fair process. It's a power grab. It's a coronation. And the people of Chesapeake deserve better.' Chadwick, a longtime Chesapeake police officer who easily won last week's primary with 7,385 votes, or 58%, didn't immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment. Write-in candidates aren't required to file any ballot access documents, according to the Virginia Department of Elections, but they have to be in compliance with campaign-finance requirements. The local Republican Party issued a statement on its Facebook page, saying it is united in its support for Chadwick. The statement claims that local Democratic leaders had interfered in the race on behalf of Rosado. 'Dave Rosado could have chosen to run as a Democrat or Independent this year and secured a place on the November ballot,' the statement said. 'Instead, he entered an open Republican Primary — giving every Republican voter in Chesapeake the opportunity to make their voice heard. The result was decisive: Republican voters overwhelmingly rejected Rosado by a 17-point margin. 'Now, having lost the confidence of Republican voters, Rosado has aligned himself with a Democrat-backed write-in campaign. This marks the third time in just one year that the Chesapeake Democratic Party — led by Senator Louise Lucas, Speaker Don Scott, and Delegate Cliff Hayes — has attempted to prop up a failed Republican candidate rather than fielding their own Democratic candidate.' Rosado, a native of Brooklyn who moved to Chesapeake in 1999, joined the sheriff's office 23 years ago. He took over in November after Sheriff Jim O'Sullivan stepped down. Chesapeake Republican Party officials were against him from the get-go, Rosado wrote. He accused party leaders of creating 'a culture of exclusion and control, propping up inexperienced candidates they believe they can manipulate, while pushing out those who disagree or dare to stand independently. That's not leadership — that's politics at its worst.' 'They didn't want the most qualified candidate,' Rosado wrote. 'They wanted someone they could control. I wasn't that – and I never will be. This wasn't about the people – it was about the power brokers. I will not stand by while the voices of Chesapeake are silenced.' Staff writer Natalie Anderson contributed to this report. Jane Harper,
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wallace Chadwick wins GOP primary, making him Chesapeake's presumed next sheriff
CHESAPEAKE — Police officer Wallace Chadwick is poised to be Chesapeake's fourth elected sheriff following unofficial results of the Republican primary election Tuesday. No other candidates filed to run as Democrats or independents in the race, so the GOP primary effectively decides the winner of the 4-year term. The sheriff's office handles jail security, courthouse security, civil enforcement and the school resource program, among other duties. With all 64 precincts in Chesapeake reporting around 10 p.m., Chadwick earned 7,300, or 58%, of the total vote. Rosado received 5,242 votes, or 42%. Tuesday's results don't include provisional ballots, which will be tallied as part of the canvassing process throughout the week before results are finalized Monday. Cheers and claps could be heard from dozens of supporters around 9:20 p.m. at Lockside Bar and Grill in Chesapeake as Chadwick, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and current lieutenant and executive officer of the police's Special Operations Division, declared victory. Chadwick said he ran to challenge a longstanding tradition in the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office of passing the torch to leadership, and also to give deputies more of 'a voice.' Among his first duties once assuming the role in January is to begin healing the divisions within the party. Fellow Republicans at the state and local level were divided in their support of the candidates. 'I started this campaign with three things: transparency, accountability and leadership,' Chadwick told supporters in a victory speech Tuesday. 'And those are the three things that we will start with on day one with this Republican Party and with the Sheriff's Office. We're going to put things back together where they should be.' Rosado could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday night. But earlier in the night around, Rosado addressed his dozens of supporters at his watch party at Standard Calibrations Inc., disappointed that the votes weren't looking in his favor. 'There's no doubt that we did everything that we could,' Rosado said. 'We did it with integrity. I did not, would not, and will not compromise my integrity.' Rosado took the reins in November to fulfill the remaining term for former Sheriff Jim O'Sullivan, who retired after more than a decade. Rosado worked in the Chesapeake Sheriff's office for more than 20 years and became the city's first Hispanic undersheriff in 2022. In the office, he's overseen jail operations, expanded the school resource officer program for elementary schools and led anti-bullying initiatives for students. Immigration enforcement and cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, was at the heart of one of Hampton Roads' most divisive primary faceoffs — with Rosado insisting the city has been following all ICE best practices, and Chadwick arguing Rosado only began holding inmates on ICE detainers after he criticized Rosado's office for not doing so. Chadwick told The Virginian-Pilot Tuesday night that he'll continue to follow all laws regarding immigration detainers. 'I am honored to have all of you here tonight to support me and to take a chance on a police officer from the police department for your next sheriff,' he said. Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133,
