VIRGINIA BEACH — Six Republicans and one Democrat announced plans to run for Virginia House District 98, following Del. Barry Knight’s death last week.
The special election will be held March 17. Knight, 71, was serving the beginning of a two-year term when he died after battling health issues.
The Republican Party of Virginia Beach will hold a canvass from 4 to 7 p.m. today to determine the candidate at the Royal Courtyard at West Neck, 3100 Arnold Palmer Drive.
Republicans in District 98 are eligible to vote at that time. The deadline to file was Monday afternoon. As of late Monday afternoon, Cheryl Smith was the only Democrat to file, leaving her as the party’s candidate for the March election. She lost to Knight in November.
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“I wanted to step forward because we haven’t had a lot of representation in this area for Democrats,” she said.
But the district leans Republican, according to Virginia Public Access Project.
Six Republicans filed to run, according to Dennis Free, the GOP’s 2nd District chair. They include former state Del. Tim Anderson; real estate agent Pieri Burton; Ben Loyola, a previous political candidate; Michael Mauch, a member of the Virginia Beach Planning Commission; Virginia Beach assistant commonwealth’s attorney Andrew Rice; and Zachery Taylor, nephew of former U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor.
Anderson is an attorney who represented House District 83 from 2021 to ’23. He moved to the 97th District, which is central Virginia Beach, to run last year. Anderson lost to Democrat Michael Feggans in November.
On Monday, Anderson said he moved again to a rented house in Ocean Lakes, which is in the 98th District. To be elected to state office, a candidate must be a resident of the district they seek to represent. The district has 65,134 voters and encompasses the southern part of Virginia Beach, extending from the resort area’s south end to the North Carolina border.
Knight was Anderson’s biggest donor when he ran for the 97th District in 2025, providing more than $200,000 for the campaign, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks campaign finance.
State Republican legislators in Richmond reached out to Anderson to encourage him to run for Knight’s seat, he said.
“There’s just some void up there of a bulldog personality like mine,” Anderson said.
Loyola, a veteran and small business owner, announced his intentions over the weekend on social media.
“I have great respect for our friend Barry and the leadership he consistently showed as our Delegate,” Loyola wrote. “My goal is to do my very best to bring my record of success in business and serving our nation in the military to uphold the standard he set.”
Rice said he wants to carry on Knight’s mission.
“He was such a force in Richmond, but I knew him as such a close family friend, church member, and short stop for our softball team,” Rice posted on social media Saturday. “Please help me continue such a great legacy.”
Burton and Mauch previously ran unsuccessfully for City Council.
“I want to serve the citizens of the 98th House District to protect the district against higher taxes, waste, and government overspending,” Burton wrote on social media Monday. “I want to continue environmental protections, protect the district from overgrowth, and implement innovative solutions for flooding.”
Mauch said in a post that no one can replace Knight, but he wants to continue his “principled leadership.”
“District 98 deserves steady representation that protects our way of life, supports small businesses and families, and approaches every decision with integrity and accountability,” Mauch wrote. “I am ready to bring my experience, my voice, and my full commitment to that responsibility.”
The results of the party elections will be available after the vote.
Early in-person voting for the special election will begin March 6 and continue through March 14.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
https://www.dailypress.com/2026/02/23/district-98-candidates-special-election/
