Wayland easily wins Piedmont seat on Board of Supervisors
Rappahannock native Edward “Eddie” Wayland cruised to a comfortable victory Tuesday in winning the Piedmont District seat on the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors. Wayland captured 57.8% of the 680 votes cast, piling up 393 votes to 212 votes for Monira Rifaat and 75 votes for Katherine “Kim” Estes Baader.
Reached Tuesday evening at his home near Sperryville, the winner said: “I feel pretty good. I am looking forward to going to work and coming up to speed on the issues ahead. I want to congratulate Kim and Monira on their campaigns.”
Asked if he will take up his job as supervisor with a specific agenda in mind, Wayland responded: “I am going in with an open mind. I don’t have what I would call an agenda. The one big thing that almost everyone in the county seems to agree on is slow growth in the county. So if you want to call that an agenda, I guess that’s my agenda. But I am going to look at each issue as it comes up.”
Wayland, 54, a native of the county, is a retired owner of a computer software company.
Monira Rifaat, who ran a spirited race and came in second with 31.2% of the votes, issued a statement congratulating Wayland on his victory and thanking her supporters. “I will continue my work at the county and state levels to conserve our county, to ward off the threat of development. I will press for cellular service in the southern part of the county and for community sustainable housing. My sincere thanks to my friends and close supporters for their advice and tireless effort on behalf of my campaign.”
Katherine Estes Baader, daughter of the late Charles K. “Pete” Estes, who represented the district on the Board of Supervisors for many years, issued a brief statement expressing “sincere appreciation” to the residents of the district and best wishes to the winner. Her vote total amounted to 11% of the votes cast.
Reached by phone, Estes Baader added, “I am glad the race is over, and I am glad that I did it.” She said she enjoyed meeting the voters of Piedmont district and had no regrets.
Wayland will replace interim appointee Tom Taylor, who declined to run for election. Wayland, along with the other four incumbent supervisors, faces another election in just 12 months. All five seats on the board will be up for election in November 2007.
-- James P. Gannon
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