It’s primary season in Virginia, and here’s what is—and notably isn’t—on the ballot June 17.
Virginia and New Jersey’s off-year elections are historically treated as bellwethers, taking the temperature of public opinion one year after presidential elections. Despite the hoopla, there’s no gubernatorial primary in Virginia this June, with Abigail Spanberger and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears the Democratic and Republican nominees, respectively.
All opponents to the gubernatorial frontrunners have exited the race, sending the contest directly to the general election this November. Under Virginia law, Gov. Glenn Youngkin cannot serve consecutive terms, preventing him from seeking reelection.
In the lieutenant governor’s race, the Democratic field is crowded, with six candidates qualifying for the ballot this June. The Democratic ticket features familiar names in state politics, including Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and state Sens. Ghazala Hashmi and Aaron Rouse. Attorney Alex Bastani; Babur Lateef, current chair of the Prince William County School Board; and Victor Salgado, a prosecutor for the Department of Justice, are also vying for the nomination.
There is no clear frontrunner for now, but Hashmi, Rouse, and Stoney have outraised the other candidates by a lot. Each has garnered more than $1 million compared to the next-highest fundraiser, Salgado, who has pulled in $203,998 as of March 31, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
On the Republican side, John Reid is the only person who qualified for the ballot, but the future of his candidacy is up in the air. Youngkin called on Reid, the first openly gay candidate for state office, to drop out of the race in late April after allegations emerged that he had a social media account reposting sexually explicit images of men. Reid has said he will not drop out of the race, criticizing the “uncalled for and gross sexual attacks and smears” and attempts to “extort” him in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter.
Down ballot, Democrats Jay Jones, a former state delegate representing Norfolk, and Shannon Taylor, Henrico County commonwealth’s attorney, are competing for their party’s nomination. The winner of the Democratic primary will face incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares in the fall. Jones and Taylor have raised $1.8 million and $1 million, respectively, to Miyares’ almost $3.4 million, according to VPAP.
In the Charlottesville area, Katrina Callsen and Amy Laufer are both seeking reelection to the House of Delegates. There are no primary challengers in either race, a change from the crowded nomination contest after redistricting in 2023. At press time, Republicans have not named a nominee for either race, leaving the seats uncontested.
Early voting for both state- and local-level primaries began May 2, and will run through June 14, the Saturday prior to election day. Voters have until May 27 to register or update their existing voter registration, and until June 6 to request an absentee ballot. For more information on voting and polling locations, visit elections.virginia.gov.
Former 7th District Rep. Abigail Spanberger launched her campaign for governor in November 2023. File photo.
