08/17/23 - Typo leaves Democratic Virginia Senate candidate in limbo

Trudy Berry was always a long-shot candidate for the heavily rural and Republican Senate District 9 seat, stretching from Danville to the outskirts of Farmville. 

 

But her odds dimmed further when Danville Democratic official Clem Oliver left off a .gov from an email submitting Berry’s paperwork to the state on April 10, according to a letter to the board from the Democratic Party of Virginia. The error meant state officials didn’t receive Berry’s paperwork ahead of their April 11 deadline. 

 

The State Board of Elections didn’t take up Berry’s petition to add her name to the ballot against state Sen. Frank Ruff (R–Mecklenburg). In an email Wednesday, Berry questioned why she would be treated differently than past instances where the board had granted forgiveness to candidates from both parties.