Virginians head to primary polls that could impact balance of power in Congress

Virginians are heading to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in an unusually timed primary election that could ultimately help shape the balance of power in Congress.

The polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m.

The primary election in the commonwealth is typically held in June, but state lawmakers voted to delay it while the push for redistricting played out.

While Virginia’s Supreme Court struck down the redistricting plan, the primary remained in early August. Some experts said low turnout is expected because of the timing, when families are on vacation or planning for the new school year.

“At least in most of the competitive districts, we at least have a decent sense of who we think the nominees are going to be,” said J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

WTOP’s Luke Lukert reported that turnout was low at a polling place in Prince William County Tuesday morning.

Before primary day, Justice Department announced plans to send observers to polling stations in Prince William and Fairfax counties.

“Both election offices say this is pretty normal. They have neutral observers from different organizations, including the Justice Department and the NAACP,” Lukert said.

Races to watch

In the D.C. region, several Republicans will face off in a primary with the hope of facing incumbent Rep. Eugene Vindman in November.

That race, in Virginia’s 7th District, could be close because it’s “always been a competitive seat and so that means it’s going to be one that many people are going to be looking at and paying a lot of attention to,” Virginia Tech Political Science Professor Karen Hult said.

Vindman, Hult said, has also been a longtime target of Republicans and President Donald Trump. Vindman’s district includes Prince William, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties and Fredericksburg.

In other primary races in Northern Virginia, several Democrats are looking to unseat longtime Rep. Don Beyer in District 8 and multiple Republicans are facing off for the chance to face Rep. Suhas Subramanyam in District 10.

Beyer, a six-term congressman, represents residents who live in Fairfax and Arlington counties as well as the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church.

Subramanyam is serving his first term representing District 10, which includes Fauquier and Loudoun counties, parts of Prince William and Fairfax counties as well as the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

What other races will be competitive?

Analysts are largely expecting the most competitive primary and general elections in Virginia’s 1st and 2nd congressional districts.

In the 1st District, seven Democrats are battling to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman. Shannon Taylor, Henrico’s commonwealth’s attorney, is largely considered the front-runner in the Democratic primary.

Speaking about the district, Coleman said, “Trump still carried it, but it profiles like a lot of the seats that Democrats flipped in the 2018 midterms, in Trump’s first midterm.”

Similarly, in the 2nd District, four Democrats are competing for the chance to face Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans.

That race, according to Hult, “looks like it could well be competitive again” because it’s “one that has flipped back and forth in terms of which party controls it.”

Bob Holsworth, a Richmond-based political analyst, said few of the races are expected to be very competitive because, “I don’t think the Republicans nationally are going to be putting money into Virginia challengers to the Democrats.”

Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, told WTOP that he’s curious to see how activated the Republican base is for the November midterms.

“(The) national problems for Republicans is that Democrats seem way more enthusiastic to vote, and that could have a bearing on what the results are,” Kondik said.

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