Roanoke County Supervisor Joe McNamara has officially been nominated as the Republican candidate to replace Delegate Greg Habeeb in House of Delegates District 8. McNamara was the only candidate to file for the Republican Party nomination. The deadline to do so was today at 12noon. Therefore, according the call, McNamara immediately becomes the Republican nominee and the firehouse primary which was scheduled for August 14 is cancelled.
McNamara has been a Roanoke County Supervisor since 1998, with one 4 year absence from 2009 to 2013. He is the owner of two small businesses, Salem Ice Cream Parlor & Katie’s Ice Cream & Chocolates, and works as a certified public accountant.
From just about the moment of Habeeb’s announcement that he will resign, McNamara was seen as the front-runner for this seat. State Senator David Suetterlien endorsed McNamara right away. Earlier today Suetterlien said on Twitter, “Congratulations to Joe McNamara on securing the Republican nomination! Republicans have united behind a leader with a proven record of delivering positive results for Southwest Virginia families. On to November!“
The 8th District is a rock-solid Republican district. Winning the nomination, for all practical purposes, means winning the seat. Seeing that no one challenged McNamara for the GOP nomination is a testament to the professional and expertise of McNamara as well as a personification of the solidarity of Republican support that his campaign will enjoy.
The Special Election will be held on the same day as the General Election, Tuesday November 6. Voters can go to their usual voting location to cast their ballot for Joe McNamara for Delegate. We expect no surprises here, this seat will stay in Republican hands.
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