Waynesboro resident Lorie Strother believes the timing is right for her to step up to do more for her city by running for the Ward A seat on City Council.
As a mom to five, ranging in age from 20 to 39, she said her youngest child just moved out last week making her an empty nester for the first time in more than three decades.
Her involvement in the city and state ranges from culture and music to economic and small business development.
Strother’s achievements are certainly inspiring to people no matter what their background.
Strother, who moved to Virginia after living in Massachusetts and North Carolina, was homeless between the ages of 13 and 17, going back and forth from the streets to foster homes. Her educational background includes receiving her GED in 1985, her associate’s degree from Blue Ridge Community College in 1997, her bachelor’s degree from Eastern Mennonite University in 2004 and a master’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University in 2008.
Strother believes regardless of your circumstances, you can rise above anything.
“It’s not something that you automatically do,” Strother told AFP during an interview at Dani’s, an Italian restaurant that recently opened in Ward A at the old Tastee Freeze location. “You have to work to rise above that. I don’t want to give this notion that you pull yourself up by bootstraps. Hell, no. There’s help every step of the way. I’ve had help along the way, whether they recognized I simply needed help, or they recognized that I’m motivated.”
Without that assistance, Strother said, she wouldn’t be where she is today.
“I want to encourage those people out there that want to get that better job or want to get their GED to seek help. Get to the next step. Get to the next level.”
When Strother was 23 years old, she purchased her starter home in Ward A. It was just over 1,000 square feet and cost $53,000. Strother said she was definitely considered low income at the time, and homes in Ward A were attractive because they were fairly affordable.
“I think more people, as housing has become more out of reach, have been moving there, and they’re not necessarily low income.”
Strother has lived in Ward A for 33 years. She’s spent 17 years as an advocate for small businesses with the state government through her full-time job at the University of Virginia. She’s served for nine years on Waynesboro’s Economic Development Authority and seven years on the Waynesboro Cultural Commission. She’s also spent 25 years singing the blues known by her stage name, The Dreaded Blues Lady.
In addition to singing, Strother said she has recently started traveling internationally and enjoys walking the greenway. She also likes doing work with her hands. She’s currently installing hardwood floors in her home.
City elections throughout Virginia tend to be non-partisan. However, with the divide in the country between conservatives and Democrats, more often, party affiliation has appeared on ballots even at the local level.
Strother said in her canvassing of Ward A, she has had conversations, some uncomfortable, about local and national politics.
“No one can deny, there’s a clear divide,” she said. “I’m not thinking about national politics (when running for Council). No matter what side you are on: the left, the right, the top or bottom, do you need your garbage picked up? Do you need your sewer running? Do you need clean water?”
Strother said voting in local elections is important so people can see the things they want in their community. For Strother, her platform includes infrastructure, homelessness solutions and economic development.
When canvassing, Strother noted, there was definitely an appreciation for a candidate knocking on doors and asking people there for their opinions. She said one thing she heard over and over was “no one has ever come by and asked us anything.”
Strother doesn’t see a place for party at the local level, but she acknowledges the significance of having a Black woman at the top of the ticket for president.
Strother shares some commonalities with Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee to lead the United States. Harris has talked in her campaign about her humble beginnings working at a fast-food chain.
“I was 18 years old, and maybe seven, eight months pregnant working at McDonald’s,” Strother said. “As a Black woman, seeing her (Harris) at the top of the ticket is inspirational, and it’s motivational.”
It also pushes Strother to make another phone call, send out another text or do what she can to inspire and motivate local voters.
She’s has met with city officials including the fire and police officials. Strother is also doing all the administrative things that come with running a local campaign. She’s come up with her slogan: “Together We Have What It Takes.” She’s worked with a graphic designer to develop a logo, and as any musician might do, she even has a campaign song. She’s also been pounding the pavement, working to send out postcards, developing a mailing list and asking for donations to fund her campaign.
“We’re not talking about pennies,” she said.
Running a successful campaign even at the local level can cost thousands of dollars.
“Donations usually come in $2 here, $5 here, $10 here,” Strother said.
She said that candidates often have to front the money themselves and then hope to get reimbursed for it.
“I feel like that’s a barrier for some people running for office,” she said. “I mean, you can run a campaign with no money, but how effective is that?”
Ward A includes the East side of town where people travel from Afton into Waynesboro, and it extends to the South River and back to Delphine. It also includes the roads that lead to Waynesboro from Crimora and Lyndhurst.
Strother thinks that some improvements should be made to the entrance corridors in Ward A which she currently describes as looking “rough.” She would like to see the city partner with private landowners to make things look better.
The old Virginia Metalcrafters building renaissance plays a big role in the improvements that have already been completed in the east corridor to the city with the addition of Basic City Beer Co., The Foundry music venue, Happ’s Coffee and Common Wealth Crush wine bar. Ward A also includes Sunset Park, Blue Ridge Bucha and Faded Poppy, which recently relocated to the old Rockfish Gap Outfitters location.
“I think Waynesboro is on the cusp of being at another level,” she said. “And Ward A, you can see it I think more than you can maybe see it from other areas of Waynesboro just because of where Ward A has come from. It’s just a new look.”
Strother believes that listening to residents and business owners is the key to making informed decisions for the city.
“I don’t pretend to have all of the answers,” she said. “But what I’m willing to do is, given the opportunity, is listen and then work to analyze with my co-councilors and then make a decision.”
Strother would like to follow in the footsteps of former Council member Elzena Anderson who was the first Black woman elected to Waynesboro City Council.
“I don’t think the makeup of the community is represented right now, but it is what it is,” she said. “We are a largely White community overall, but as far as Ward A is concerned, there’s a various mix of people. It runs the gamut because of our economic situation. I think if I have the opportunity to be able to serve, I will, in essence, be the second Black woman that has been able to serve.
“Certainly, it’s not all fairy tales and sprinkles and unicorns. We have a ways to go, but I think I can contribute to the moving on up,” she said.
For more information on Strother’s campaign, visit Strother4CityCouncil.com
City Council seats on the ballot in Waynesboro
All three seats up for grabs on Waynesboro City Council are contested.
- Ward A: Independent Lorie Strother and Republican David Goetze
- Ward B: Independent Terry Short (currently elected to at-large seat) and Republican Will Flory
- At-Large: Independent Bobby Henderson (former Ward C representative) and Republican Jeremy Sloat
Historical voting data
In city elections, Waynesboro residents used to vote for all four wards and the at-large seat on City Council in May. However, new regulations have limited residents to voting only for City Council members in the ward they reside in, plus the at-large seat, and moved local elections from May to November, starting with the 2022 city elections.
While local elections are traditionally non-partisan, Strother is running as an independent in Ward A and is facing David Goetze who is running as a Republican. In November, Ward A voters will vote for president in addition to the Ward A and At-Large seats on Waynesboro City Council.
- 2016 May Election: In the 2016 City Council election, Independent Elzena Anderson won the Ward A vote count, 124 to 89. Citywide, Anderson won 1,414 to 817 votes against her opponent, John Smith, Jr.
- 2020 May Election: In the 2020 city election, there were only 139 votes cast in Ward A for City Council. Republican Lana Williams defeated Independent Kanise Marshall, 80 to 56. Citywide, Williams defeated Marshall 1,588 to 1,071.
- 2020 November Election: In Ward A in the 2020 presidential election, there were 539 votes for Donald Trump and 258 votes for Joe Biden.
- 2022 November Election: In 2022, there were no City Council seats up for grabs for residents of Ward A to vote on. The Ward C and D seats were contested.
- 2024 November Election: In 2024, the City Council election will coincide with the presidential election. While local elections typically drew small numbers of voters (Ward A had 139 votes cast in 2020 and 214 votes cast in 2016), November presidential elections have a much larger turnout.
For more historical data, click here.
Mark your calendar
The Waynesboro Office of the Voter Registrar has moved to 501 W. Broad St. Early voting will take place at the new location.
- Early voting begins Sept. 20
- Early voting on Saturday is offered on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2
- Election Day: Nov. 5
Related stories
Search “Lorie Strother” on Augusta Free Press.
Search “Waynesboro City Council” on Augusta Free Press.
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Crystal Graham
