Politics & Government
Ana Renner Requests Recount In 2022 Fairfax City Council Race
Finishing 15 votes behind sixth-place finisher Billy M. Bates, Fairfax City Council candidate Ana Renner is requesting a recount.
Updated (Nov. 22, 9:30 a.m.): This story was updated with information from Fairfax City Registrar Brenda Cabrera.
FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Anahita N. "Ana" Renner filed a petition in Fairfax Circuit Court requesting a recount of the votes in Fairfax City Council race from the Nov. 8 general election. Renner finished seventh behind Billy M. Bates in the race to fill the six seats on the council.
"It is in the public interest when an election is this close that the votes are recounted to make certain that the result is the correct one," she said, in a statement released late Monday afternoon.
Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Brenda Cabrera, the city’s director of elections and general registrar, confirmed on Tuesday morning that a petition asking for a recount had been filed.
"The next step will be a hearing that will be held within seven calendar days," she said. "If the court issues an order for a recount, we will cooperate with the court and do our part to facilitate the recount most of the details of which will be in the court order."
Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
When all the votes were tabulated on Nov. 14, Bates finished with a 15-vote lead, tallying 4,213 total votes compared to Renner's 4,198 total votes.
Related: All Votes Reported In Fairfax City Election; Bates Edges Past Renner
The 0.04 percent gap separating Bates and Renners' vote totals is less than the 1 percent required for Renner to ask for a recount. Since it's less than 0.5 percent, Fairfax City is responsible for paying for the recount since Renner has requested one, according to Cabrera.
"As I've said before, I will respect the recount process and participate fully," Bates said, in a statement on Monday. "I'd like to express my appreciation for the election workers and for Brenda Cabrera, who have worked so hard already on this election and in whom I have full confidence for a very transparent and well run process."
In addition, only one vote separates Bates and Jeffrey C. Greenfield, who finished fifth in the city council race.
Coincidentally, Greenfield initially lost to incumbent Fairfax City Councilmember Nancy Loftus by three votes in 2016. After filing a request for a recount with the Fairfax County Circuit Court, Greenfield was declared the victor by a three-vote margin following the recount.
City Council (*Six Seats)
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| So P. Lim* | 6,369 | 15.38% |
| D.T. "Tom" Ross* | 5,338 | 12.89% |
| Jon R. Stehle Jr.* | 5,037 | 12.16% |
| Kate G. Doyle Feingold* | 4,582 | 11.06% |
| Jeffrey C. Greenfield* | 4,214 | 10.17% |
| Billy M. Bates* | 4,213 | 10.17% |
| Anahita N. "Ana" Renner | 4,198 | 10.13% |
| Joseph D. Harmon | 4,023 | 9.71% |
| Craig S. Salewski | 3,194 | 7.71% |
| Write In | 254 | 0.61% |
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
