After 16 years in the role, longtime Newport News City Council member Pat Woodbury has announced that she will not seek another term. Woodbury was first elected 2008 to represent the Central District of the city. Her current term expires at the end of 2024.
She said she’s enjoyed “every minute” of serving on the council and feels good about how she conducted herself over the past 16 years. However, at 88 years old, she feels it’s time to retire and allow a younger person to have a shot at the seat. “I think everything that I’ve done has been what I feel is very positive and very enhancing for the city,” she said.
Five candidates have filed to run in the November election to replace Woodbury. These include previous Newport News City Council member Rob Coleman and businessman Stephen Ferguson — both of whom ran for council in 2022 but lost to Cleon Long. Other candidates who have filed include Scott O.
Cox, Justin Kennedy and Andrea Diggs. There are two council seats for each of the city’s three districts. Woodbury said she is supporting Ferguson, who has previously identified as a conservative and has advocated for lowering property taxes, in the upcoming election.
Woodbury said one thing she was proud to support during her time on council was the development of a trail stemming from the sale of a portion of Riverview Farm Park to the Hampton Roads Sanitation District as part of it’s sustainable water initiative. Under the deal, the HRSD provided the fundin.