Lynchburg, VA - Residents in Virginia's 23rd House District have a new delegate. Democrat Shannon Valentine conceded the race Wednesday afternoon to Republican Doctor Scott Garrett.

The race had been very tight, the candidates separated by a thin margin. Valentine says she won't request a recount. Garrett ended up winning by a 208 vote margin.

In the Heritage Elementary School district, which encompassed the voters from Liberty University (web) , out of more than 2,200 votes, Garrett got more than 1,900 or around 86 percent.

Compare this to Valentine, who got just 324 votes or around 14 percent. That precinct may have turned the tide of the 23rd House District race.

Viewers have been making numerous comments on our website, some in favor of Liberty University's voter turnout some irate.

On Wednesday, school officials spoke out, calling it democracy in action.

"I didn't see the same resentment last year when the UVA students put Tom Periello in office over Virgil Goode (web) ," Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. said.

But the resentment is there, much of it is built up around the students' place in the community.

123abc says, "I think it is great that the young people are getting out and voting. But, they are voting in an election that doesn’t really affect them..."

Lynchburg Voter Deborah Queen said, "What percentage of them to go home after their four-year tenure at Liberty University and that respect it is unfair."

"Just because they're going to be here three or four years, instead of 8 or 10 doesn't mean they aren't impacted by local taxes and by requirements imposed on our school that cost us money and might cause us to raise their tuition," Falwell, Jr. said.

Others accuse Liberty of ulterior motives.

abarnes4720 says "I love LU and all it does... but I feel as though LU has its own agenda for closing classes and busing students to vote."

Lynchburg Voter Julia Cannon said, "It's important to vote and it's good to be involved, but I do think it does skew things a bit."

But Liberty denies endorsing any candidate outright.

"All I urged them to do is please get out and vote because when they vote in big numbers the city takes more seriously issues that impact Liberty," Falwell, Jr. said.

Falwell hopes Liberty will have its own precinct soon, so he won't have to cancel classes or bus students to precincts.

They now may be voters, but some viewers are questioning whether Liberty University students are true taxpayers. 

Lynchburg's Commissioner of Revenue, Mitch Knuckles says there's no way of knowing exactly how many students pay personal property taxes, because many live off campus, or have vehicles registered in their parents' name. But of the students living on campus, 176 were billed for personal property this week.

Officials estimate Liberty has a $300 million impact on the local economy.

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