Republicans to select Tazewell County supervisor nominee June 17
tazewell, va. — Early voting begins May 2 for Virginia's dual primary contest that will see area voters casting ballots on both statewide and local races.
Virginia will be conducting both a Republican and Democratic Primary Election on June 17 to nominate candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general. But a Republican candidate for the Western District seat on the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors also will be selected at that time.
The local primary election is necessary because two candidates are seeking the Republican nomination for the Western District seat on the board of supervisors, according to Tazewell County Registrar Brian Earls.
The two candidates vying for the Republican nomination for the Western District seat are Curt W. Breeding and Michael L. 'Mike' Wade. The winner of that contest will then appear on the November ballot.
Voters will decide the Western District and Southern District seats on the board of supervisors this November. The two incumbent supervisors, Aaron Gillespie in the Southern District and Andy Hrovatic in the Western District, are both not seeking re-election to the board.
Early voting for the Republican Primary and Democratic Primary begins May 2 at the voter registration office in North Tazewell.
Often in the past, if more than one candidate was seeking a particular party's nomination, mass meetings or 'firehouse primaries' would be held by that political party to select a candidate. However, a law recently passed by the Virginia General Assembly made such firehouse primaries a thing of the past, according to Earls.
That law was passed by the General Assembly in 2021 and took effect on Jan. 1 of this year.
Earls said voters must choose which primary they are voting in for the June 17 contest. They will be asked to state if they are casting a ballot in the Democratic or Republican primary. They can't vote in both. State law prohibits voters from casting a ballot in two primaries held on the same day.
In addition to the local board of supervisors race in the Western District, the Republican Primary is being held to select a GOP nominee for Lieutenant Governor.
The Democratic Primary is being held to select a nominee for lieutenant governor and attorney general.
There are six candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. They are Levar Marus Stoney, Babur B. Lateef, Aaron R. Rouse, Victor R. Salgado, Ghazala F. Hashmi and Alexander J. Bastani
Two Democrats also are vying for the attorney general nomination. They are Shannon Taylor and Jay C. Jones.
In the Republican primary, two candidates are vying for lieutenant governor. They are Patrick S. 'Pat' Herrity and John J. Reid, II.
Current Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is a candidate for governor where she hopes to succeed incumbent Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. In Virginia, a candidate can only serve as governor for a single term, so Youngkin can't seek re-election.
Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is the Democratic nominee for governor.
Incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares is seeking re-election to that position and has no Republican challengers. He will face the winner of the two-person Democratic race on June 17 in the November General Election.
On the local level, Earls said voters who live in the Amonate community are being reminded of a change ahead of the June 17 election.
According to Earls, the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors recently voted to eliminate the Amonate voting precinct.
'The Amonate precinct is being closed,' Earls said. 'The voters from that precinct will be redistributed among three other precincts. A portion of them will go to Bishop, a portion will go to Bandy and a portion will go to the Mundy Town precinct.'
Earls said new voter cards will be mailed out in the next few days that will include information on where voters who previously cast a ballot at the Amonate precinct will vote on June 17 and in future elections.
Contact Charles Owens at
cowens@bdtonline.com
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