Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Newport News Mayor & City Council Election 2026

4 of 7

council seats up

4 contests

10 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

Phillip A. HamiltonRetired from Newport News Public Schools and served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1988 to 2009. Holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Richmond and a master's degree in education administration and supervision from William & Mary.6sourced
Phillip D. JonesIncumbentMayor; term ends Dec. 31, 202618sourced
Sharon P. ScottReal estate agent and president of SPS Professionals, Inc., who served on City Council from 2002 to 2022. Represented the North District and chaired the Newport News/Williamsburg Airport Commission and the Hampton Roads Regional Jail Authority.5sourced

City Council North District Seat B · Unopposed

Curtis D. Bethany IIIIncumbentVice Mayor; Council Member, North District, Seat B; term ends Dec. 31, 202615sourced

City Council Central District Seat B · 1 seat

City Council South District Seat B · 1 seat

Four of the seven council seats are on this ballot: the mayor, elected citywide, and Seat B in each of the North, Central and South districts. Voters choose a mayor and one candidate for their own district's Seat B.

2 notes on these statements

Curtis D. Bethany III is the only candidate for the North District seat. Virginia Department of Elections

Curtis D. Bethany III, John R. Eley III, Cleon M. Long, Clifton J. Atkins, Andrea R. Diggs, Michael A. Gale and Devon P. Hamilton answered six randomly selected resident questions at a September 2026 City Council candidate forum at Hilton Christian Church. The Virginian-Pilot · Sep 26, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Robert S. ColemanCouncil Member, Central District, Seat A; term ends Dec. 31, 20288sourced Marcellus L. Harris IIICouncil Member, North District, Seat A; term ends Dec. 31, 202811sourced Tina L. VickCouncil Member, South District, Seat A; term ends Dec. 31, 202811sourced

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phone Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the council What council decidesSchool construction sales tax, Camp Morrison redevelopment, Data centers Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Next date

Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.)

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

All key dates

What the next council decides

School construction sales tax

Where it standsVoters decide on Nov. 3 whether to let the City Council adopt an extra local sales tax of up to 1% for school construction and major renovation.

What's on the tableIf voters say yes, the next council decides whether to adopt an ordinance imposing the tax and which school projects it pays for.

The council voted 7-0 on July 14, 2026 to initiate the referendum. City of Newport News · Jul 14, 2026
The tax is estimated to raise $25 million to $30 million a year and would expire on June 30, 2046. City of Newport News
Approval would not automatically impose the tax; the council would still need to adopt a separate levying ordinance. City of Newport News
Newport News has accumulated $233 million in deferred maintenance over the past 15 years; the tax could generate roughly $29 million a year to close that gap. The Virginian-Pilot · Sep 26, 2026

Camp Morrison redevelopment

Where it standsIn July 2026 the council unanimously postponed, with no new date, a vote on a Community Development Authority to finance infrastructure for D.R. Horton's plan to turn Camp Morrison into housing.

What's on the tableThe next council decides whether to create the authority, whose debt would be repaid through special assessments on property in the district.

The proposed Morrison Station development would include approximately 621 residential units, supporting commercial space and public infrastructure. City of Newport News · Jul 14, 2026
The authority's bonds would be repaid from special assessments on property within the district, not from the city's general fund. City of Newport News · Jul 14, 2026
Up to $12 million in principal debt would have been repaid through special assessments paid by future residents. The Virginian-Pilot · Jul 16, 2026
Mayor Phillip Jones said the council would not vote on it until the two South District members agree. The Virginian-Pilot · Jul 16, 2026

Data centers

Where it standsNewport News had received no proposals for a data center as of July 2026; a federal research data center is under construction at Jefferson Lab.

What's on the tableThe next council decides whether to adopt zoning rules for data centers and whether to pause applications while it writes them.

The Jefferson Lab Data Center, a federal facility, will have a 5-megawatt capacity. The Virginian-Pilot · Aug 5, 2026
Nearly 100 residents attended a July 28, 2026 town hall on data centers and digital infrastructure. The Virginian-Pilot · Aug 5, 2026
Vice Mayor Curtis Bethany and Amanda Doughty facilitated the July 28, 2026 Digital Infrastructure Readiness Plan Town Hall. City of Newport News
Chesapeake enacted an eight-month moratorium on data center applications in July 2026, and Hampton is developing zoning policy. The Virginian-Pilot · Aug 5, 2026

Budget and tax rates

Where it standsThe $1.27 billion FY 2027 operating budget kept the real estate tax rate at $1.18 per $100 of assessed value.

What's on the tableThe next council writes the FY 2028 budget and sets the real estate, personal property and meals tax rates.

To collect the same real estate revenue as the year before, the rate could have been lowered to $1.139; at $1.18 the total real property tax levy was expected to rise 3.56%. City of Newport News · May 12, 2026
The council adopted the FY 2027 budget and the real estate tax rate ordinance 7-0 on May 12, 2026. City of Newport News · May 12, 2026
The FY 2027 budget increases water rates and fees and the fire protection service fee, and establishes an income-based tax relief grant program. City of Newport News · May 12, 2026

Collective bargaining for city employees

Where it standsIn July 2026 the council unanimously adopted an ordinance letting eligible city employees bargain collectively, starting July 1, 2028.

What's on the tableThe next council must ratify any agreements unions reach and decide how to pay for them.

The ordinance allows five bargaining units: fire and EMS, police, labor and trades, administrative and technical, and professional. City of Newport News · Jul 14, 2026
Only the fire and EMS, police, and administrative and technical units are eligible for recognition in the first year. City of Newport News · Jul 14, 2026
City staff estimated $1.5 million to $2.1 million in upfront costs and $5.4 million to $5.8 million a year if all five units unionize. WHRO · Jul 16, 2026
Agreements reached with unions must be ratified by City Council. WHRO · Jul 16, 2026

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

1. Should voters approve the extra 1% sales tax for school construction?
2. Should the city create a Community Development Authority to finance Camp Morrison's redevelopment, repaid by assessments on future homeowners?
3. How should Newport News handle data center proposals?
4. What should happen to Newport News tax rates?
5. Should city employees be able to bargain collectively through unions?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

Early in-person voting beginsCity of Newport NewsSep 18, 2026
Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.)City of Newport NewsOct 23, 2026
Last day of early in-person votingCity of Newport NewsOct 31, 2026
Election DayCity of Newport NewsNov 3, 2026

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Robert S. Coleman, Marcellus L. Harris III, Tina L. Vick4 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

The City Council has seven members: a mayor elected at large and two members, Seat A and Seat B, from each of the North, Central and South districts. City of Newport News
The mayor's term and the Seat B terms in all three districts expire Dec. 31, 2026; the Seat A terms expire Dec. 31, 2028. City of Newport News
The mayor votes on council items along with the other six members. City of Newport News · Jul 14, 2026
Vice Mayor Curtis Bethany was selected by his council colleagues to serve as vice mayor. City of Newport News

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

See something wrong? Report an error

Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.