City Democrats chose Charlottesville Mayor Blake Caravati and local photographer and teacher Alexandria Searls as its two candidates in the upcoming Charlottesville City Council election.
During the five-hour nominating convention at the Charlottesville Performing Arts Center on Saturday, six potential candidates competed for the nominations to fill the open seats of Caravati, who was up for reelection, and retiring Councilman David Toscano.
"We came here supporting six candidates and we leave supporting two candidates," said Russell Perry, co-chair of the Charlottesville Democratic Committee.
Of those who attended the event, many perceived that they, in effect, might be electing the next City Council members.
"With the lack of Republican candidates thus far, the chances of Caravati and Searls getting elected are extremely high," said fourth-year College student Amy Spitler, who attended the convention as an observer.
Robert Hodous, chairman of the Charlottesville Republican Committee, said the group has one candidate for certain, but will not run anyone unless it can find a second person to run.
He said the party would decide at its meeting this Thursday whether a Republican will run in the election.
"At this point, it's still kind of up in the air," Hodous said.
All five current Council members are Democrats.
At the event, 442 registered voters from eight city precincts cast their ballots four times in order to give the winning candidates the required majorities of the vote.
Many voters left before the event ended, without knowing who had won. Only after the third run-off did Caravati garner the party nomination by obtaining more than 50 percent of the votes. The fourth vote was between the two remaining candidates, Searls and Web site designer Waldo Jaquith.
"It was very exciting," Caravati said. "Even though I was an incumbent, I took nothing for granted."
Caravati and Searls said they would continue to campaign vigorously for the May 8 election, despite their current lack of competition.
"I'm not going to ease up," Searls said. "I feel it is an opportunity to meet the people of Charlottesville."
Caravati said the two likely would run their campaigns "based on what a great place Charlottesville is."
Other Council members also said they look forward to the possibility of working with Searls in the future.
She would "definitely bring a sensitivity to the City Council," said Councilwoman Meredith Richards, who is currently the only female on Council.
If elected, Searls also will be the second sitting Council member serving on the University faculty, along with Architecture Prof. Maurice Cox, who currently is a councilman.
Searls will teach a media studies course this summer.
Searls said she sees several projects that will require cooperation between the city and the University, including the planning of major construction projects and improving efforts for water conservation.
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