A new mayor running unopposed and five incumbent Town Council members winning reelection highlighted Haymarket’s municipal elections on Tuesday.
Mayor-elect Tracy Lynn Pater, a local real estate agent, received 96.4% of the vote, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, to claim the mayoral position – which she inherits from outgoing Mayor Ken Luersen.
“I am thrilled,” Pater told InsideNoVa of her new role. “I am very much looking forward to serving my community as mayor for the next two-year term.”
Pater addressed some of her legislative priorities and forthcoming projects.
“We’re working through our council initiatives, and I am very focused on doing it in a collaborative, financially responsible and transparent method,” Pater said. “We have a park building-slash-pavilion project that we are working on, and I am looking forward to continuing to bring the community together through our events and through additional community outreach.”
Pater added that her experience working as Haymarket’s vice mayor while on the Town Council prepared her well for her new mayoral duties.
“I am a full-time real estate agent, and I have served with the town of Haymarket for the past four and a half years as vice-mayor and as the business liaison, and then have also taken on the secondary position in finance liaison,” Pater said. “So just working with the businesses and the community and … doing a deep dive into finances has helped me understand and support the team.”
Town Council
On the Town Council front, seven candidates were competing for six available seats on the council.
Elementary educator and volunteer Girl Scout troop leader Mary Ramirez led all candidates with 19.3% of the vote, finishing with 505 total votes, according to the Virginia Public Access Project — 102 votes ahead of runner-up Matthew Gallagher, former chairman of Haymarket’s Board of Zoning Appeals, who received 15.4%.
Newcomer Justin Baker and Luersen – the outgoing mayor running for Town Council – finished tied for third with 13.6% of the vote. Baker currently sits on the Haymarket Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and Architectural Review Board.
Coming in fifth at 13.5% was Joe Pasanello, a retired transportation executive, only four votes behind the third-place finishers. Alexander Beyene, a cybersecurity expert who serves as Town Council liaison to and the chair of the Haymarket Planning Commission, rounded out the top six with 12.3% of the vote.
Newcomer Aaron Peck did not make the cut, finishing seventh with 10.5%, making Baker the lone challenger to earn a seat on the council this year.