BEDFORD COUNTY (WSLS10) - Bedford County Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Wes Nance is running for a new position.
Tuesday, Nance announced his candidacy for the Commonwealth's Attorney position for Bedford County.
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Randy Krantz currently holds the position, but has been appointed to serve as the region's newest judge.
Nance will be appointed Acting Commonwealth's Attorney until a special election is held.
Read the full release below.
BEDFORD, VA – Seeking to build upon the legacy of his predecessor, Bedford Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, Wes Nance, has announced his candidacy for the position of Commonwealth's Attorney for Bedford County. That office is presently held by the Honorable Randy Krantz, who has been selected to serve as the region's newest Judge.
Last week, the Honorable Randy Krantz was appointed to replace the retiring Harold Black as the General District Court's sitting judge. Mr. Krantz has made known his intention to step down from the position of Commonwealth's Attorney and take the position on the bench. Mr. Nance, the current Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, will be appointed to serve as acting Commonwealth's Attorney until a special election can be held.
Mr. Nance states that he is "honored to serve as acting Commonwealth's Attorney for Bedford County and humbled to now take the position previously held by Mr. Krantz and prior to that by James W. Updike, Jr."
Wes Nance began his prosecutorial career in Roanoke, Virginia, where he served as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for over four years. In 2001, Mr. Nance joined the Bedford Commonwealth's Attorney's Office where he has served for fourteen years, the last nine of which was as Mr. Krantz's Deputy.
This fall a special election will be held for the balance of what would have been Randy Krantz's term. Nance states, "I will proudly be running for Bedford County Commonwealth's Attorney in the upcoming election. I intend to seek the nomination from the Republican Party of Bedford County."
Nance is uniquely qualified for this position based upon over 18 years as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney. He was the first prosecutor in the state to obtain a second degree murder charge based upon a DUI related fatality and was the lead prosecutor in Commonwealth v. Wesley Earnest. Last year, as a cross-designated Federal Prosecutor, Nance appeared in the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk in the case of United States v. Daniel Harris. He worked hand-in-hand with Federal prosecutors in obtaining a conviction on all 31 counts against Harris, a former Naval fighter pilot. The convictions arose from the sexual blackmail of nine identified girls from all over the country, including one here in Bedford County.
Nance states that he "looks forward to continuing my work with the outstanding men and women of law enforcement in Bedford County along with the excellent attorneys and staff of the Bedford County Commonwealth Attorney's Office."