CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The race to determine who will lead the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office has been a heated one: Current Sheriff Dave Rosado lost in the Republican primary to Chesapeake police officer Wallace Chadwick III back in June. However, Rosado launched a write-in campaign in an effort to remain the city's sheriff — a move that's been heavily criticized by his opponent.
When will we know the results?
Rosado's name won't appear on the ballot, making the race especially unique.
Neighborhood News Reporter Erin Holly reached out to the Chesapeake Registrar's Office on Monday to ask how write-in votes are counted. They explained, "We will not know the names in the write-in categories on Election night, we will only know the number of write-ins cast for each race. If the write-in votes reach at least 10% of the total votes cast in a specific race, election officials will then go back and process the names of each write-in. This process will take time but must be complete with the rest of the election certification, which is due to the State Board of Elections on November 14."
There are 184,485 registered voters in the city of Chesapeake. If all registered voters decide to vote, more than 18,000 ballots need to have someone written in for election staff to go back and process which names were written in.
News 3 also asked the registrar's office if write-in votes have to be spelled a specific way. They said, "As long as it is clear what the voter’s intent was – it will count."
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 4. Information from the City of Chesapeake, including how to find your polling place, is available here.
Who are the candidates?
Dave Rosado, who's been with the sheriff's office for more than 20 years, became sheriff in November of 2024 to finish the last year of Jim O'Sullivan's term upon his retirement. A judge waived the need for a special election that year.
After his primary loss, Rosado resigned from the Republican Party of Chesapeake. He's described in his campaign as an "independent public servant for Chesapeake."
Wallace Chadwick III, a Marine veteran, has been with the Chesapeake Police Department for more than 20 years. The GOP candidate's campaign describes him as “your conservative for sheriff.”
What happened in the primary?
Rosado got about 42% of the votes in the primary election, with the remaining 58% going to Chadwick.
With no Democrats or Independents in the running, the winner of the primary seemed poised to serve as the city's next sheriff. However, Rosado refused to concede and officially announced his write-in campaign a week after the primaries.
Previous coverage: Chesapeake Sheriff says he will fight back as a write-in candidate after losing primary
Under Virginia law, if a candidate loses a primary race, their name cannot be printed on the general election ballot for that office. Therefore, the only way Rosado can win on Election Day is through write-in votes.
Rosado argued that the primary election was "not a fair process," citing the fact that only voters who participated in the Republican primary had a say in the city's sheriff's race.
“I’m not conceding. I’m not stepping aside. And I’m not going to pretend that what just happened in Chesapeake was fair,” Rosado said.
In response, Chadwick said he won the primary "decisively and fairly," calling Rosado's write-in campaign a "desperate, last-ditch effort to cling to his title."
"Dave Rosado made the informed decision to enter an open Republican primary — a fair process — where he outspent us 5 to 1, yet still lost by 17 points. Now, unhappy with the results, he is violating his oath..." Chadwick said in a statement.
The Republican Party of Chesapeake also criticized Rosado's move, accusing him of launching a "Democrat-backed write-in campaign" to keep his job.
Candidates continue to clash
Last month, Rosado and Chadwick faced off in a forum, which grew tense at times. Chadwick addressed criticism from his opponents, stating, “I’ve been called many things, I’ve been called a racist by many people in this room, and those things are just not true.”
Rosado has also taken aim at his opponent's supporters: When announcing his write-in campaign, he claimed the primary results were heavily influenced by leaders within the Republican Party of Chesapeake, accusing "party insiders" of "creating a culture of exclusion and control."
"...from the very beginning, the party chose not to support me. In fact, it actively worked against me. Rather than championing experience and proven leadership, I was undermined, dismissed, and used as a political scapegoat—my Brooklyn, NY roots thrown back in my face despite moving to Chesapeake in 1999 and dedicating my life to serving this community," Rosado wrote in his resignation letter to local party leaders.
Previous coverage: Candidates for Chesapeake Sheriff face off in heated forum
The two candidates have been vocal about why they think they're better suited to lead the sheriff's office, with Rosado touting his experience and Chadwick calling for change.
“All I want to do and have done was put on a campaign based on merit, based on my experience, qualifications and the love I have for the office and the community," Rosado said at last month's forum.
“I believe it comes down to taking care of people — that is our greatest asset and our greatest strength as law enforcement,” Chadwick said at the forum. “My opponent now is staying in it for the power. He talks about titles, and I think that’s what he’s after.”
