Shelly A. Simonds
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Assumed office
January 8, 2020
Preceded byDavid Yancey
Constituency94th district (2020–2024)
70th district (2024–present)
Personal details
Born (1967-11-09) November 9, 1967 (age 56)
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceNewport News, Virginia
Alma materBucknell University (B.A.)
Stanford University (M.A.)
ProfessionTeacher
Websitesimondsfordelegate.com

Shelly Anne Simonds (born November 9, 1967) is an American educator and politician serving in the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 70th district. She was first elected in 2019. During the 2013 and 2017 elections, Simonds was Democratic candidate for Virginia's 94th House of Delegates district in Newport News, Virginia.[1]

2019 election

Main article: 2019 Virginia House of Delegates election

In 2019, Simonds ran for a third time against Delegate Yancey, however this time in a redrawn district. Simonds won the November 2019 election to become Virginia's 94th district House of Delegates representative with 57.7% of the votes cast, against multiple opponents.[2]

2017 election

Main article: 2017 Virginia House of Delegates election

After a close election November 7, 2017, Simonds was 10 votes behind her opponent. A recount was held in December and Simonds was declared winner by 1 vote. The next day, a 3-judge panel declared that a previously uncounted ballot in which both candidates' bubbles had been filled, but which Simonds' bubble was crossed out should have been counted for the Republican David Yancey—leaving the election a tie.[1]

On December 27, 2017, Simonds filed a motion asking judges to reconsider count of the double-marked ballot.[3] On January 3, 2018, the recount panel rejected the motion. Drawing by lot was scheduled for the following day.[4] On January 4, 2018, the Virginia Election Board certified that Yancey was the winner after a drawing by lot.[5] Simonds declined to request another recount, to which she was entitled for losing the drawing, stating that "she did not expect to prevail in a dispute that captured national attention".[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Judges Erase One-Vote Lead In Virginia, Throwing State Politics Into Disarray". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  2. ^ "House of Delegates District 94 election results". vpap.org. Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  3. ^ "Name-drawing in tied Va. House race delayed after Democrat announces court challenge". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  4. ^ "Judges reject Democrat's request to undo tie in Newport News House district, setting up Thursday tiebreaker". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  5. ^ McGraw, Meridith (January 4, 2018). "Republican wins hotly contested Virginia race after name picked out of ceramic bowl". ABC News. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  6. ^ "Democrat who lost random drawing for Va. House seat concedes to Republican". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved 2020-08-17.


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