News

Actions

Herring, Obenshain both name transition teams in close attorney general’s race

Posted at 1:56 PM, Nov 13, 2013
and last updated 2013-11-13 15:17:01-05

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – Hours after the Virginia State Board of Election updated its results Wednesday morning to reflect Democrat Mark Herring’s 164 vote lead in the Virginia attorney general’s race, Herring announced his five-person transition team.

The team includes former Virginia First Lady and Richmond judge Anne Holton, Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor and Newport News Sheriff Gabriel Morgan.

“The co-chairs are an exceptional group of Virginians, talented and with wide and deep experience in the issues confronting our state. Together, we’re going to build an Attorney General’s office that works for all Virginians,” Herring’s team announced.

Meanwhile, during an afternoon press conference, Republican candidate Mark Obenshain announced he too would form a transition team. [Click here to watch Obenshain’s press conference]

Obenshain’s team includes former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, former Attorney General Andy Miller, former Chief Deputy Attorney General Chuck James and Commonwealth’s Attorney Lisa Caruso.

The State Board of Elections is scheduled to complete its review of votes November 25. Once the review of votes is certified, the losing candidate can call for a recount.

Despite having narrowly fewer votes during election night returns, Herring took a lead in the race this week when Electoral Boards in Richmond and Fairfax reviewed votes in those jurisdictions.

On Election Night, poll workers in Richmond’s precinct 501 failed to tabulate the ballots from one voting machine. Election workers in several other areas also failed to include some paper ballots.

When asked by CBS 6 political reporter Joe St George how an entire machine could be left out, Richmond Registrar Kirk Showalter said that workers simply got tired.

“Weariness of the election workers: they’ve been there since 4:30 in the morning,” Showalter said.