19th District Contest Takes On Personal Tone

Summary

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Forget about party labels and political permutations. The race to represent the 19th District in the Virginia Senate has turned into a personal grudge match between two men who faced off in a Republican primary four years ago.

Ralph Smith defeated then-incumbent Brandon Bell by 75 votes on his way to a general election victory in 2007. Now, the roles are reversed. Smith, R-Roanoke County, is a sitting senator. Bell, also of Roanoke County, is an independent trying to knock his rival out of the Senate after one term.

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Extract

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19th District Contest Takes On Personal Tone

The fight for the redrawn 19th District - which extends from Bedford County to Wythe County with Carroll County, Salem and portions of Roanoke, Franklin, Montgomery and Floyd counties in between - has turned ugly in recent weeks.

Bell accused Smith of lying about living in a small house that Smith rents on Bent Mountain. Smith moved i...

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