VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – David Nygaard announced that he will not seek to regain the Virginia Beach City Council seat in the upcoming special election.
Nygaard briefly held the Virginia Beach City Council seat representing the Beach District until the election was nullified by a three judge panel.
In their ruling, the judges note that Nygaard did not testify during the trial, writing they had to rely on the credibility of witnesses. “The court finds more credible testimony showing that Nygaard lacked the intent to permanently change his residence to 20th Street,” the opinion states.
The ruling followed a two-day trial where former Councilman John Uhrin contested that Nygaard didn’t actually live in the district during last year’s campaign and thus was ineligible to win an election to serve on city council in the Beach district, which is around the Oceanfront.
In a statement sent on Sunday, Nygaard said:
After a time of prayer and reflection I’ve decided I will not run in the special election for my old seat as the Beach District City Council member. While I loved the job more than any I’ve had before, I have to be cognizant of my other responsibilities and these campaigns can take a toll on families.
My father recently fell and hurt himself; he deserves my attention and presence. I am still looking and considering other ways to serve and different avenues for public service but city council for now will not be my place to serve.
I want to thank everyone for their support. The few months I served on city council helped me see so many areas where we can improve. There are many ways we can serve to improve the city other than on city council.
