HOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC) — Five of the seven seats on Hopewell City Council will have new representatives, marking a significant shakeup in the city's leadership after ongoing controversy over employee firings and racism allegations involving the council. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, voters in Hopewell took t o the polls to elect representatives for Wards 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7. The races included Ward 1, currently represented by vice mayor Rita Joyner; Ward 2, represented by Michael B. Harris; and Ward 3, currently represented by mayor Johnny Partin. In May 2025, the Hopewell City Council voted 4-3 to terminate city manager Concetta Manker and city clerk Brittani Williams without cause. The meeting was contentious, and citizens immediately accused the four white councilors of firing the two women because they are Black. Manker filed a $6.8 million lawsuit — that was later dismissed — alleging that her firing was racially motivated and violated the city council's own rules. In addition, Hopewell picked a new city clerk and new city manager. Virginia Department of Elections reports the following for all five seats: Ward 1 Debbie Randolph, the vice president of Regulatory Compliance at a banking compliance company, defeated incumbent Rita Joyner in the race for Ward 1 Councilor, which includes the central-northern parts of the city near 12th Avenue. The Virginia Department of Elections reports that Randolph has 59.22% of the vote, leading Joyner, also Hopewell vice mayor, by over an 18-point margin. Randolph first ran for the Hopewell City Council Ward 1 seat in 2010, in a race where incumbent Christina Luman-Bailey was re-elected. She went on to serve on the city council, running for re-election in subsequent cycles, including a contested race in November 2022 against Joyner. Joyner, who assumed office as Ward 1 Councilor on Jan. 1, 2023, is seeking re-election as her current term is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2026. She is a retail executive who moved to Hopewell when she was 9 and grew up in Ward 1. Ward 2 Vannette "Moonie" Taylor, a community activist and politician from Hopewell, defeated incumbent Michael B. Harris in the race for Ward 2 Councilor, which includes Tabb Avenue, Courthouse Road, City Point Road, West Broadway, Oaklawn Boulevard, Boston Street, East Randolph Road, High Avenue, South Main Street and numbered avenues. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, Taylor has 53.38 % of the vote, leading incumbent Harris by over a 6-point margin. During her campaign, Taylor ran on a platform focused on listening to constituent concerns and addressing local needs in her city. She previously organized the local "Protect the Peace" event and basketball tournament in Hopewell to support mothers of homicide victims and rally the community against gun violence, following the tragic loss of her 26-year-old son in January 2023. Harris, who assumed office as Ward 2 Councilor on Jan. 1, 2023, is seeking re-election as his current term is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2026. He ran for and won election to the council in previous cycles. Ward 3 Anthony Sylvester, a former Hopewell Commonwealth's Attorney, defeated political newcomer Jeffrey Torres in the race for Ward 3 Councilor, which includes Stonewall Avenue, Walnut Street, North Marion Avenue and Eppes Street. Sylvester has 63.02% of the vote, leading Torres by over a 26-point margin, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. Partin assumed office as Ward 3 Councilor on Jan. 1, 2023. His term will end on Dec. 31, 2026, and he is not seeking re-election. Ward 6 Tavorise Marks, the owner of Tavorise K. Marks State Farm in Hopewell, defeated Matthew Mellon, who currently serves on the Hopewell Redevelopment and Housing Authority (HRHA), in the race for Ward 6 Councilor, which includes Tabb Avenue, Freeman Street, Winston Churchill Drive, Miles Avenue, Courthouse Road, Roanoke Avenue, Granby Street, Oaklawn Boulevard, Boston Street, Arlington Road, High Avenue, Trenton Street, Virginia Street, Stewart Avenue and Pine Avenue. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, Marks has 75.49% of the vote, leading Mellon by over a 50-point margin. Marks — who currently serves as the chair of the Hopewell Economic Development Authority — is also the owner of the Tavorise K. Marks State Farm Insurance Agency on Oaklawn Boulevard in Hopewell. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served for over 15 years within the Military Police and Military Intelligence sectors. Mellon currently serves on the HRHA, where his roles have included vice-chair and member. He also grew up on 4th Avenue in Hopewell; his parents owned The Frame Shop for over 30 years, and his grandfather served as pastor at Broadway Baptist Church for 60 years. Malik Wheat, the current Ward 6 Councilor, will conclude his term on Dec. 31, 2026. Ward 7 Colonel Pratt, who worked with the Richmond Peace Education Center and the U.S. Census Bureau here in Hopewell, defeated incumbent Lovena Rapole in the race for Ward 7 Councilor, which includes Cobblestone Drive, Blackstone Avenue and areas bordering the southeastern/Fort Gregg-Adams periphery. Pratt has 57.20% of the vote, leading Rapole by over a 14-point margin, the Virginia Department of Elections reports. Pratt has lived in Ward 7 since 2017 and raised his two children here — both of whom attended Hopewell schools. Rapole, the current Ward 7 Councilor, is seeking re-election as her current term is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2026. She is a Cumberland County native and retired after 44 years with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Virginia, now Elevance Health, where she supported healthcare access across 14 states. All election results are unofficial until certified by Virginia’s State Board of Elections. 8News is Your Local Election Headquarters. To check out more of our reporting on the 2026 General and Special Elections, click here. For more election results, click here. This is a developing story. Stay with 8News for updates. ...read more read less