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The Republican firehouse primary in the race for Gainesville District supervisor has formally been announced for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to a news release from the Prince William County Republican Committee.
A firehouse primary is an electoral contest run by a political party rather than a state or local government.
The Aug. 16 primary will be held at Bull Run Middle School at 6308 Catharpin Road, Gainesville, the release said.
Jacob Alderman, the committee’s chairman, issued a call for the primary on Friday.
According to the release, voter qualifications include, “All legal and qualified voters of Gainesville Magisterial District, Prince William County under the laws of the commonwealth of Virginia, regardless of race, religion, national origin or sex, who are in accord with the principles of the Republican party and who, if requested, express in open meeting either orally or in writing as may be required, their intent to support all of its nominees for public office in the ensuing election, may participate as members of the Republican Party of Virginia in its mass meetings, party canvasses, conventions or primaries encompassing their respective election districts.”
Balloting will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., with any voters remaining in line at 5 p.m. still able to continue the registration process.
The release added the nomination will be decided by a plurality of the votes cast under standard voting, without ranked choice. Each candidate must file by hand directly to Alderman by 5 p.m. Monday, including a nonrefundable check of $2,950 to cover the filing fee.
Thus far, two candidates — Brian Landrum, 32, and Patrick Harders, 51, have filed on the Republican side. Landrum is a political consultant who moved from Woodbridge to Gainesville in recent weeks, while Harders is a small-business owner who has lived in the district for nearly two decades.
A Gainesville Republican candidate forum will be held at Giuseppe’s Ristorante in Haymarket on Tuesday from 7-9 p.m.
On the Democratic side, George T. Stewart, 57, defeated Jewan “Jack” Tiwari, a real estate broker and Nepali community leader, by four votes in a Sunday primary. A Navy veteran and small business owner, Stewart will advance to face the winner of Landrum and Harders in the Nov. 4 special general election.
The winner will succeed the late Bob Weir as the Gainesville District Republican on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.
