Martinsville, VA.

Martinsville, VA. — Well, Patty Covington wasn't on the ballot, but that certainly didn't stop her from making this year's Martinsville City election look like a political showdown with Mayor L.C. Jones.

And when the votes were counted, there was something interesting to look at.

Covington had thrown her support behind candidates Michael Green and Charles Niederstadt Jr., making no secret of where she stood in the political battle involving Jones.

Now, the results have given political observers plenty to talk about.

Green and Niederstadt received nearly identical vote totals, suggesting that Covington's two preferred candidates drew remarkably similar levels of support.

That raises an interesting question: Was this election about individual candidates, or did voters see it as another opportunity to send a message in Martinsville's ongoing political divide?

Covington previously suffered a major setback when her effort to remove Jones through a voter petition fell short of the required valid signatures.

But she didn't disappear from the political scene. Instead, she backed candidates who offered voters another way to make their voices heard.

Meanwhile, Jones had his own political supporters and campaign operation working to maintain his position.

SO, WHO WON THE GRUDGE MATCH?

The ballot doesn't officially declare a winner between Jones and Covington. But the election results provide plenty of material for the next chapter of Martinsville's political soap opera.

Covington wasn't running for office, Jones wasn't the only name being decided, and the voters ultimately had the final say.

One thing is certain: In Martinsville politics, the election may be over, but the conversation probably isn't.

YOU BE THE JUDGE!

Original Facebook source: Open post

Source note: Star News TV · Nov 4, 2026 12:35 PM.