Virginia is gearing up for a significant election day this Tuesday, as Democrats prepare to decide amongst a diverse field of candidates during a six-way primary for lieutenant governor and an intense nomination contest for the state attorney general position. Simultaneously, constituents throughout the commonwealth will select nominees for the state House of Delegates.
The candidates victorious in the primaries will move forward to the general election in November. Here, Republicans aim to maintain control of the top three statewide offices, including the governorship, while Democrats strive to retain their slim majority in the state House. Historically, in Virginia, candidates from the president’s party face additional challenges in the elections following a presidential year.
Emerging as uncontested candidates for their respective parties’ nominations for governor, Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger will not participate in the primary ballots this Tuesday.
The Democratic race for lieutenant governor sees several contenders, including state Sens. Ghazala Hashmi and Aaron Rouse, Prince William County School Board’s Babur Lateef, and former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney. Additionally, former federal attorneys Alex Bastani and Victor Salgado are part of the competitive field, while John Reid stands alone as the Republican nominee.
Levar Stoney enters the race with endorsements from notable figures like former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Pete Buttigieg, having also achieved the highest fundraising total of $2.1 million. Meanwhile, Rouse, backed by U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott and state Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, closely follows with over $1.8 million raised. Hashmi is not far behind these two in terms of fundraising, trailed by Lateef.
In terms of funds available as of June 5, Hashmi had $462,000, with Rouse slightly behind at $452,000. Lateef and Stoney both had approximately $260,000.
Running for the Democratic nomination for state attorney general, Jay Jones, a former state delegate, is competing against Henrico County’s Shannon Taylor. They aim to challenge Republican incumbent Jason Miyares. Jones enjoys endorsements from McAuliffe and Ralph Northam, while Taylor has the support of former Attorneys General Mark Herring and Mary Sue Terry. Overall, Jones has raised $2.7 million, compared to Taylor’s $2.1 million. However, from April to early June, Taylor outpaced Jones in fundraising. As of June 5, Jones had $493,000 in funds, closely matched by Taylor’s $470,000.
On the ballot, all 100 seats in the state House of Delegates are available for election, though only 15 will undergo contested primaries. The Democrats hold slight majorities in both the House and Senate, with the latter not up for election until 2027.
Geographically, Northern Virginia and Richmond areas are pivotal in producing votes for Democratic primaries, historically dominating in gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial races. Fairfax County is a significant vote contributor, with adjacent counties like Loudoun and Prince William also playing essential roles. In contrast, Arlington and Alexandria are less influential in Republican primaries due to their political tendencies.
Notably, Virginia’s electoral protocol does not include automatic recounts. However, candidates can request and finance recounts when the vote margin falls at 1% or less. The government covers costs if less than 0.5% separates candidates or if the recount modifies the outcome.
The polls are open until 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, marking the end of the primary day voting process. Once the polls close, results will determine the Democratic nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general, plus the candidates for both Democrat and Republican House of Delegates races.
By Tuesday, every registered Virginia voter has the opportunity to engage with either Democratic or Republican primaries. Already, ahead of Election Day, over 158,000 Democratic primary ballots have been placed compared to the under 9,000 Republican votes, reflecting the absence of statewide GOP primary contests.
The anticipation builds, bringing the state 140 days away from the general election this November.