Service. Small Business. Smithfield.
NICK HESSfor Smithfield Town Council
A Neighbor Who Shows Up.
Nonpartisan · At-Large · Election Day is November 3, 2026
Nick Hess helped bring a piece of Smithfield back to life. In 2021, he and two partners restored the 1929 Red Point Service Station on South Church Street and opened Red Point Taphouse — the first new restaurant to open its doors in Smithfield after COVID hit. As a small-business owner, a youth baseball coach, and the current Chair of the Smithfield Board of Zoning Appeals, Nick has spent years doing the unglamorous work that keeps a town strong. Now he's running for Town Council because Smithfield's next few years — how we grow, what we spend, and how honestly we govern — will decide what kind of town our kids inherit.
Managed Growth, Done Right
Smithfield is growing — hundreds of new homes are already approved or under construction, from Mallory Pointe to the Cottages at Battery. Growth isn't the enemy; unmanaged growth is. As Chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals, Nick knows land-use rules inside and out, and he'll insist that every project respect Smithfield's small-town character, its historic district, and the real capacity of our roads, schools, and utilities. When the town spends $6.5 million on the Grange property, residents deserve an independent appraisal and a public hearing before the deal — not after.
Read moreA Town That Works for Small Business
Nick has lived what Smithfield's small businesses live. He built a restaurant in a 750-square-foot historic building, made payroll, and dealt with the town's rules firsthand. He knows a $30,000 requirement can be the difference between a local business surviving and selling. He'll push for clear, consistent, common-sense treatment of every merchant, a permanent home for our farmers market before its lease runs out, and a downtown where the next Red Point can still get off the ground.
Read moreOpen, Accountable Government
Big decisions in Smithfield keep getting made behind closed doors first and explained later — months of closed sessions on the Grange purchase, a public hearing held only after the vote. Nick believes the public's business belongs in public. He'll push for decisions of consequence to come with independent numbers, published in advance, and debated where residents can watch and speak — before the vote, not after. Trust isn't a slogan; it's a process.
Read moreThis race will be won on front porches, not billboards.
Town elections in Smithfield are decided by a couple thousand votes — your street matters. Knock doors with Nick, host a meet-and-greet, or put a sign in your yard.
Join the Team
Builder. Coach. Neighbor.
Nick Hess co-founded Red Point Taphouse in Smithfield's restored 1929 service station, coached youth baseball here, serves as Chair of the town's Board of Zoning Appeals, and — with his wife Julie — is part of the team behind Gatling Pointe Yacht Club. He's not a politician. He's a neighbor who knows how this town actually works.
Meet Nick“I've watched Nick show up for this town for years — on the ballfield, downtown, and in the room when the hard zoning questions got decided. He listens first and he does his homework. That's exactly what Council needs.”
Smithfield small-business owner · Longtime resident
“Nick understands land use, budgets, and process better than most people who've held office. He'll bring judgment, not politics, to the Council table.”
Former Planning Commission member, Smithfield, VA
“What I respect most about Nick is that he asks good questions before he takes a position. He genuinely wants to understand your situation. That's rare.”
Resident, Cypress Creek · Youth baseball volunteer
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