LYNCHBURG, Va. – Incumbent Commonwealth Attorney Bethany Harrison secured her third term Tuesday night, winning re-election with more than 75% of the votes.
Harrison, who has served as Lynchburg’s top prosecutor since 2017, will begin her new term in January 2026.
“Well, I feel great, I feel so grateful for everyone that supported me in the campaign, whether they gave their time, knocking doors, putting up yard signs,” Harrison said.
Looking ahead to her next term, Harrison plans to tackle several serious cases. “As we turn to the new year, unfortunately, we have several serious cases, including homicide, so I’ll be putting my focus towards putting those cases up,” she said.
The Commonwealth Attorney noted that recent state election results, which showed Democratic gains, could impact her office’s work in the coming year. “Really kind of waiting to see what comes out of our general assembly because the democratic party has control of the House in the Virginia General Assembly. I think we’ll have a lot to deal with as far as new laws that come our way,” Harrison said.
Among her initiatives, Harrison is collaborating with Lynchburg Police to potentially establish a multi-jurisdictional grand jury to assist with case investigations. She also emphasized her commitment to maintaining community partnerships.
“We have great relationships with our community partners, we want to continue to work with them. It’s what allows us to have these innovative programs to work towards community safety, whether it’s safety for our victims or rehabilitation for criminal defendants,” Harrison said.
The YWCA of Lynchburg stands as one of these key community partners. Nancy Hubbard, CEO of the Lynchburg YWCA, praised Harrison’s partnership: “Bethany is the most amazing partner we could ask for. She started out her career in domestic and juvenile services. She understands what we do, she understands what needs to be done in order to make sure we can get perpetrators behind bars.”
Harrison will be sworn in this January to continue leading the city’s prosecution office for another four-year term.