Mayoral Record

Four Elections: 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020

Fraser entered politics in 2014 as a self-described 'political neophyte' and won four consecutive two-year terms by progressively documented margins.

'14

2014: First Election — A Historic Win

868

Fraser

539

J. Keith Melton

+329

Margin

On May 6, 2014, Fraser — then a self-described “political neophyte” — won the Purcellville mayoral race against Vice Mayor J. Keith Melton, 868 votes to 539. The result represented the highest voter turnout of any western Loudoun town election held that day, and Fraser's win made him the first African-American to hold elected executive office in Loudoun County history.

The margin — 329 votes — was decisive in a town of roughly 9,000 residents. The result was noted by regional and international media, including the Guyana Graphic and Kaieteur News, recognizing both the local significance and the Guyanese-American community's interest in Fraser's historic victory.

'16

2016: Second Term — Mandate Confirmed

+651 votes

Margin

Joan Lehr

Opponent

Fraser won re-election to a second two-year term over Joan Lehr by 651 votes. The second campaign ran on the foundation of his first-term fiscal initiatives, including the 2017 debt restructuring that was being planned during his second year in office. The 651-vote margin was a widening of his first-term support base, reflecting the community's endorsement of his slow-growth land-use philosophy and financial stewardship.

'18

2018: Third Term — 924 to 717

924

Fraser

717

Chris Thompson

+207

Margin

The 2018 mayoral race produced Fraser's widest margin in raw vote totals: 924 to 717 over challenger Chris Thompson — a difference of 207 votes. In raw vote totals, this was Fraser's strongest showing. The third term coincided with the peak years of Purcellville's small-business growth, including 53 new business enterprises opening in 2019 alone.

During his second term, Fraser had voted against the Purcellville Crossroads 50-acre annexation in November 2016. In October 2018, during the campaign period for the third term, he voted against the 131-acre Warner Brook annexation — a demonstration that his slow-growth commitments were active governing decisions, not campaign rhetoric.

'20

2020: Fourth and Final Term — 55.2% to 44.7%

55.2%

Fraser

44.7%

Beverly Chiasson

+10.5 pts

Margin

Running for a fourth term on February 24, 2020 — weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic transformed American civic life — Fraser won 55.2% to 44.7% against Beverly Chiasson. The Virginia Elections Database confirms the result.

The fourth term was shaped entirely by the pandemic: the CARES Act distribution of $891,932, the meals-tax relief program returning more than $200,000 to restaurant patrons, the wastewater epidemiology partnership with Biobot Analytics and MIT, and the June 2021 launch of the Aberdeen Nutrient Credit Bank. Fraser chose not to seek a fifth term. His eighth and final State of the Town address was delivered October 14, 2022.

Key Facts at a Glance

  • May 6, 2014: Defeated J. Keith Melton, 868 votes to 539 — highest-turnout western Loudoun town election that day
  • 2014 win: First African-American to hold elected executive office as mayor in Loudoun County history
  • 2016: Won second term over Joan Lehr by 651 votes
  • 2018: Defeated Chris Thompson, 924 to 717
  • 2020: Won 55.2% to 44.7% over Beverly Chiasson (Virginia Elections Database confirmed)
  • Fraser filed for his fourth term on February 24, 2020 — two weeks before pandemic lockdowns began
  • Chose not to seek a fifth term; last day in office December 31, 2022