For the first time since 1948, an independent candidate, Nikuyah Walker, won a spot on Charlottesville’s City Council last night. More importantly, perhaps, an independent candidate who happens to be an African-American woman won a spot on Charlottesville’s City Council for the first time since Charlottesville became a town.

Democrats Heather Hill and Amy Laufer ran an unusual tag team campaign, appearing in ads together, and while together they won over 56 percent of the vote [3,760 more votes than Walker and the four other candidates combined], the split between them handed a victory to Walker, who beat Hill by just 154 votes [though Hill took the second seat available on Council], and and Laufer by 209 votes.

According to the Newsplex, Hill appeared “stunned” by the outcome at the her Escafe campaign headquarters. “I think I’m just a little in shock,” she told a reporter, “This is not the outcome I expected.”

However, given what’s happened in Charlottesville lately, and the furor over an anonymous source within City Council appearing to sabotage Walker’s campaign, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone that turnout would be strong for Walker.

Politics