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CHRISTIANSBURG -- Incumbent Del. Dave Nutter, R-Christiansburg, defeated Democrat Peggy Frank in a tight race for 7th District House of Delegates seat.

The campaign between Nutter, who was seeking his fourth consecutive term, and Frank, a political newcomer, developed an edge in recent weeks with each candidate accusing the other of not looking out for the interests of older voters. Nutter aired multiple radio ads to combat mailers Frank sent to residents questioning his voting record.

Both candidates raised more than $100,000 for their campaigns, with tens of thousands of dollars pouring into their coffers in the final weeks. Those dollars helped pay for a television ad by Frank showing a Nutter interview with WSLS (Channel 10) in which the delegate appeared unaware that the state's controversial abusive driver fees didn't apply to out-of-state drivers.

In addition to defending his record of voting in the interests of senior citizens, Nutter used his radio ads to counter Frank's ads and criticize her for negative campaigning and for falsely accusing him of voting for a pay raise for himself.

Nutter, an economic development specialist at Virginia Tech, has spoken at length about his work to better the region's economy through infrastructure improvements and encouraging tourism. He's also touted his record of preparing the work force with career technical education and support for secondary and higher education.

On Tuesday, he said he made an effort to keep his campaign about the issues and his record and that ultimately paid off. He said that without taking a closer look at the votes coming in from each precinct, he didn't know why the race was as close as it was. But after a long campaign and a long Election Day, he would take the victory.

"It's like football," he said. "An inch is as good as a yard."

Frank, a lawyer with a practice in Christiansburg, pledged to take a cooperative approach to Richmond and avoid partisan gridlock. Her campaign highlighted her role serving the community during the past 20 years and prosecuting domestic violence offenders.

The district includes the city of Radford as well as parts of Pulaski and Montgomery counties. Nutter held the edge in the counties, while Frank took Radford. Early returns looked as if she might have a shot at unseating Nutter. Frank and her campaign manager Brandon Bull kept checking results at a Democratic Party gathering in Christiansburg, hoping the last big precincts would provide the needed votes to put them over the top.

While she fell short, Frank said she was proud of her campaign. "I'm pleased, quite frankly," she said. "I would've liked to have won, but I think the results showed there was some truth to the fact that people wanted some change."

Nutter said he looked forward to going back to Richmond to work on ways to better prepare the work force for jobs in a 21st century economy. And while he and his opponent exchanged barbs during the campaign, Nutter said only those who have run for office can understand what a grind the process is.

"Anybody who decides to put their name on the ballot and run for public office deserves admiration," he said.