City & town

Bristol City Council

Vote for: 3
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 6
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The city council sets Bristol's budget, tax rates and ordinances and appoints the city manager.

Candidates Compare by issue

Jackie L. Nophlin

Democratic

Pastor; small-business owner

The gist

Pledges to help bring better jobs to Bristol.

More about Jackie

View sources (1)

Pledges to help bring better jobs to Bristol.
Bristol City Council expected to choose new member Tuesday
News coverage · Cardinal News · Feb 24, 2026 · cardinalnews.org
“I want to be on this council so that I can help you bring better jobs in here”

Elijah D. Walker

Democratic

The gist

No documented position found.

More about Elijah

Melissa K. Brown

Democratic

The gist

No documented position found.

More about Melissa

Jake Preston Holmes

IndependentIncumbent

External affairs manager, Appalachian Power

The gist

Supports economic development and tourism to grow city revenue.
Supports a host-city fee from casino gaming revenue.
Supports zoning rules that make building housing easier.
Supports hiring another code enforcement officer for housing upkeep.
Supports letting voters decide a 1% school construction sales tax.
Pledges to keep pursuing a Virginia Intermont property resolution.
Supports reviewing first responder pay and staffing levels.

More about Jake

View sources (1)

Supports economic development and tourism to grow city revenue.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“We must focus on economic development and tourism - both are driving factors of revenue growth”
Supports a host-city fee from casino gaming revenue.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“there should absolutely be a host city fee of some sort”
Supports zoning rules that make building housing easier.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“we can work to ensure that zoning ordinances and regulations are conducive to building”
Supports hiring another code enforcement officer for housing upkeep.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“We are in the process of hiring an additional code enforcement officer to help with code enforcement as well”
Supports letting voters decide a 1% school construction sales tax.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“I am very open to putting this before our citizens to get their opinion on it.”
Pledges to keep pursuing a Virginia Intermont property resolution.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“We will see this through and we will find a resolution.”
Supports reviewing first responder pay and staffing levels.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“our first responders (staff pay and staffing levels need to be looked at)”

F. Neal Osborne

IndependentIncumbent

Development coordinator, United Way of Southwest Virginia

The gist

Proposes a 10-year real estate tax abatement for home improvements.
Proposes easing zoning for duplexes and townhouses near downtown.
Proposes using city-owned lots for rent-locked workforce housing.
Supports seeking a larger share of casino gaming tax revenue.
Supports growing the tax base through development and population growth.
Supports more funding for pothole patching and street repair.
Supports fines to force Virginia Intermont site cleanup.

More about F.

View sources (1)

Proposes a 10-year real estate tax abatement for home improvements.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“I want to institute a 10-year real estate tax abatement program to incentivize homeowners to expand and improve their homes.”
Proposes easing zoning for duplexes and townhouses near downtown.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“I want to streamline zoning and permitting within a mile of downtown to make it easier to build more duplexes and townhouses.”
Proposes using city-owned lots for rent-locked workforce housing.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“I want to utilize city owned properties and vacant lots via an RFP process to find builders willing to build workforce level housing”
Supports seeking a larger share of casino gaming tax revenue.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“I fully favor continuing the efforts to get our fair share of gaming tax revenue.”
Supports growing the tax base through development and population growth.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“increase our tax base through a combination of economic development and population growth.”
Supports more funding for pothole patching and street repair.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“I have requested that additional funding be made available for patching potholes and improving city maintained streets.”
Supports fines to force Virginia Intermont site cleanup.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“we as a city have the power to levy fines and force the ownership to clean up the property to some degree.”

Michael W. Pollard

IndependentIncumbent

Systems engineer

The gist

Supports reducing real estate and vehicle taxes.
Supports drawing housing developers to add supply and lower costs.
Supports a tax-rebate incentive for residential redevelopment.
Opposes raising the sales tax for school construction.
Supports Bristol receiving most local casino gaming revenue.
Supports mixed-use redevelopment of the Virginia Intermont campus.

More about Michael

View sources (1)

Supports reducing real estate and vehicle taxes.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“We need to find ways to reduce real estate taxes and vehicle taxes on people while improving the quality of necessary services”
Supports drawing housing developers to add supply and lower costs.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“we need to draw in housing developers to reduce housing costs by increasing availability.”
Supports a tax-rebate incentive for residential redevelopment.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“We have been looking at ways to implement the no-net-loss incentive policy for residential development.”
Opposes raising the sales tax for school construction.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“I don't want to see taxes raised, and I'd vote against the increase myself in the referendum.”
Supports Bristol receiving most local casino gaming revenue.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“If we were able to get the majority of revenue, we could make the many improvements people are asking for”
Supports mixed-use redevelopment of the Virginia Intermont campus.
Cardinal News 2026 Virginia Voter Guide candidate questionnaire: City of Bristol (ElectUp data feed)
Candidate questionnaire · Cardinal News · app.electup.com
“I'd like to see it used as a multipurpose development, refurbishing the buildings that can be”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 7 issues covered in this race.