PORTSMOUTH, Va - Two newcomers will join Portsmouth city council, Vernon Tillage and Mark Hugel. Councilman William "Bill" Moody was re-elected to city council. A total of eleven candidates were vying for the three city council seats up for grabs.
Incumbents Paul Battle and Chris Woodward did not receive enough votes to get re-elected.
Mark Hugel, the vice president of CACI International Inc, a technology company received majority of the votes at 18.7% (13,237 votes). Vernon Tillage, a Portsmouth school board member received 17.4% of votes (12,352 votes). Councilman Moody received 15.6% of votes (11,078 votes).
News 3's Leondra Head spoke with the newly elected city council members Vernon Tillage and Mark Hugel during Tillage's watch party. They say public safety is their number one goal when they start their city council terms.
"I’m feeling great. I feel that this is a great opportunity for Portsmouth. It is a new day here in the city of Portsmouth and I am ecstatic. I’m overjoyed at the amount of confidence the citizens of Portsmouth put into me," Tillage said.
"It’s an exciting night for both of us. I want to congratulate Vernon and Bill Moody for re-joining city council. It’s the dream team we were hoping for," Hugel said.
News 3's Leondra Head also spoke to Councilman Moody on his re-election.
"I'm feeling great. I'm really appreciative of the citizens of Portsmouth. I want to congratulate Mark Hugel and Vernon Tillage. Come January I think citizens will see a council working for the city and working to solve problems instead of creating problems," Moody said.
To view the full Portsmouth city council result numbers, click here
