WASHINGTON – Virginia voters will select nominees Tuesday in key races across the commonwealth.
And while the focus in November’s general election will be on which party controls the state Senate, the focus on June 9 will be on local races and some unusual contests for General Assembly seats.
Local races include challenges to the incumbent mayor in Alexandria, several county supervisors, and the race for two democratic nominations to the Arlington County Board.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Absentee voting ends Saturday, June 6. Virginia law requires voters to show photo identification at the polls.
Virginia voters do not register by party so all are eligible to vote in the primaries unless they have promised as part of a party convention or other process that they will not do so.
Races not on the primary ballot were either not contested or were decided by party conventions or canvasses. The Republicans will meet Thursday for a party canvas to choose nominees for several races.
Alexandria
In Alexandria, former Mayor Kerry Donley and current Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg are running against Mayor Bill Euille for the Democratic Party’s nomination. The winner is almost certain to go on to win the general election in the heavily democratic city.
Euille has been Alexandria’s mayor since 2003.
Alexandria voters in the 45th House of Delegates District will also select a Democratic nominee for the General Assembly.
Larry Altenburg, Craig Fifer, Julie Jakopic, Mark Levine and Clarence Tong are running in the district, which also includes parts of Arlington and Fairfax counties.
The winner is almost certain to head to Richmond to replace Del. Rob Krupicka, who is stepping down to focus on his doughnut business and family. No GOP candidate has registered to run for this seat.
At a debate Tuesday, Altenburg said public education and testing plus economic redevelopment in the face of federal cutbacks were his top two issues. Fifer said he would focus on expanding opportunity and early childhood education. Jakopic said she would focus on economic opportunity for everyone, including early childhood education and Medicaid expansion. Levine said he would focus on helping struggling families and criminal justice reforms. Tong said he would focus on Medicaid expansion and expanding economic opportunities.
Arlington County
While only some Arlington voters will cast ballots in the 45th House District, all who go to the polls for the Democratic primary will be voting for two new members of the County Board.
Katie Cristol, Christian Dorsey, Peter Fallon, current School Board Chairman James Lander, Andrew Schneider and Bruce Wiljanen are running for the two seats being vacated by Walter Tejada and Mary Hynes.
Each candidate has drawn endorsements from various community leaders or publishers.
They have all said it is important to rebuild trust in the County Board after controversies over large projects like the planned Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center and the now-canceled Columbia Pike streetcar line.
Fairfax County
In Fairfax County, long-time Democratic Supervisor Penny Gross is facing a primary challenge from Jessica Swanson in the Mason District. The winner will likely win the general election this fall, but will face an independent candidate, Mollie Loeffler.
In the Mount Vernon District, there is a four-way Democratic race to replace long-time Supervisor Gerry Hyland, who has decided to retire. Democrats Candice Bennett, Jack Dobbyn, Timothy Sargeant, Dan Storck are running in the heavily Democratic district.
Some Fairfax County voters will also be casting ballots in General Assembly races.
In addition to the 45th House District mentioned above, there is also a Democratic primary race in the 44th District to replace Del. Scott Surovell who is running for the state Senate.
The race in the district along Route 1 through Hybla Valley, Mount Vernon and Fort Belvoir is between Paul Krizek and Justin Brown, with the winner expected to go on to Richmond.
Stafford County
House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell is facing a rare Republican primary challenge from his former protégé Susan Stimpson. While he has a large fundraising advantage and has promoted his achievements for his 28th District in Richmond, Stimpson has won the backing of some conservative groups and launched strongly-worded attacks.
Stimpson is hoping to follow in U.S. Rep. Dave Brat’s footsteps. He beat then-Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Republican primary in the Richmond suburbs last year.
There is a Democratic challenger in the race as well, Kandy Hilliard, who will run against the winner of the Republican primary in November.
The district stretches through Stafford County and into Fredericksburg.
There is also a Republican primary in the 2nd House District in parts of Stafford and Prince William counties.
Former Del. Mark Dudenhefer and Timothy Ciampaglio are running for the GOP nod in the race to replace Democrat Michael Futrell who is running for state Senate (see below).
The district covers much of the area east of Interstate 95 from Woodbridge south through Quantico plus an area west of the interstate and from Marine Corps Base Quantico south to U.S. Route 17.
The winner will face Democrat Roderick Hall in November.
In the Rock Hill District, Republicans Adela Bertoldi and Wendy Maurer are competing for the nomination.
The Stafford County Republican primary also includes Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Olsen facing a challenge from Jason Pelt, and the race for Clerk of Court among Darrell English, Jim Fry and Kathy Sterne.
Prince William, Manassas, Manassas Park
There are two Democratic primary races in Prince William County, one for supervisor and another for the Virginia Senate.
Del. Michael Futrell, Jeremy McPike and Atif Quarni are competing for the Democratic nomination to replace state Sen. Chuck Colgan, a Democrat who has represented the area for decades.
The winner will face Republican Manassas Mayor Hal Parrish in November in the district that stretches west from Woodbridge through Manassas and Manassas Park to parts of Gainesville.
Voters in the Democratic primary in the Potomac District will also choose Andrea Bailey or Derrick Wood as the nominee for county supervisor.
Fauquier County
Voters in Fauquier County will choose a Republican nominee for supervisor in the Cedar Run District where incumbent D. Lee Sherbeyn is facing challenger Rick Gerhardt.
Fauquier County Clerk of Court Gail Barb is facing a Republican primary challenge from John Marshall Cheatwood.
Around Virginia
With a candidate with the name of Carl Loser, how could we skip the crucial 10th Senate District, which stretches west from Richmond?
Democrats Emily Francis, Daniel Gecker and Alexander McMurtrie are squaring off in the primary, in what Democrats hope is an opportunity to pick up a seat and swing the state Senate to Democratic control.
The Republican candidate for the seat is Glen Sturtevant, and Carl Loser is the Libertarian candidate. In November, they’ll face the winner of the Democratic primary to replace Republican Sen. John Watkins of Powhatan.
Past elections show Loser could have an impact on the general election race even if he garners just a small number of votes. In last year’s U.S. Senate race, Libertarian Robert Sarvis won 3.5 percent of the vote. Democrat Mark Warner won 49 percent of the vote in the district to Republican Ed Gillespie’s 47 percent.
In a Senate district nearby, four Republican candidates are competing in Tuesday’s primary for the nomination to replace Republican Sen. Walter Stosch. There is no Democratic candidate in the race, meaning the winner among Siobhan Stolle Dunnavant, Vincent Haley, former Del. Bill Janis and Edward Whitlock III will likely claim the seat in November.
