Just 15 votes separated two candidates for a seat on the Williamsburg-James City County School Board Tuesday night.
With all precincts reporting, challenger Ty Hodges held the lead over incumbent Sarah Ortego for the Jamestown District seat on the board, with 3,814 votes to Ortego’s 3,799. Hodges had more votes in three of four precincts.
The results, however, are not final until absentee and provisional ballots are tallied and the winner is confirmed by the state Department of Elections. A winning margin this small could trigger a recount.
Hodges said Tuesday night that he was shocked by the results since Ortego, who has been on the school board since 2021, initially held the lead. The 34-year-old said he ran for the seat because he wanted to make a better world for his 3-year-old daughter Nelly.
If the results hold, Hodges, a multimedia specialist, said he’d be excited to serve the district and the school division and to “really make sure that we protect our schools, we take care of our teachers and we take care of each and every student.
“No matter what they look like, where they come from, how they identify, they all matter and we need to make sure that they become the best versions of themselves,” he added.
Ortego, who is serving her second consecutive term as board chair, has said she was running for reelection to build on the work the board has done over the past four years and to help ensure that WJCC Schools remains a premier school division.
Retired educator Kimberley Hundley ran uncontested in the Powhatan District, retaining the seat she was elected to in 2021.
James W. Robinson, 757-799-0621, james.robinson@virginiamedia.com
