Latest news with #VirginiaDepartmentofElections
Axios
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Virginia Democrats' lieutenant governor race still undecided
We still don't officially know who the Democrats' lieutenant governor candidate is. Why it matters: It's the hottest race on the 2025 primary ticket, and includes two Richmond-area locals. Driving the news: As of Wednesday morning, frontrunners state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi and former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney were within 1% of each other. What they're saying: Hashmi declared victory Tuesday night, the Democratic party announced her as the winner and opponent Aaron Rouse congratulated her. But Stoney hasn't conceded. The intrigue: If the final margin is within 1% or less, the race would be eligible for a recount. But there's no such thing as an "automatic recount" in Virginia — whoever is behind has to request one. By the numbers: Hashmi, who represents Chesterfield and parts of South Richmond, swept Richmond — the city Stoney was mayor of for eight years — with 58% of the vote, according to unofficial results. Stoney performed better in Chesterfield and Henrico, where he had around 35% of the vote in a six-way race, than he did in Richmond. But Hashmi led overall in the Richmond area. Zoom out: Former Norfolk lawmaker Jay Jones won the Democratic nomination for attorney general, per the AP, which means Virginia could have its first Black AG. What we're watching: When each ticket will first show up together. The GOP nominees have yet to do so in the months since Gov. Youngkin asked lieutenant governor candidate John Reid to step aside earlier this year. In an interview with WTOP this week, Reid said, "I would love to do an event with my ticket mates" and called it "disappointing" that it hasn't happened. Reid also said he hasn't spoken with Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP nominee for governor, in nearly two months. Other Richmond election results In Richmond, incumbent Colette McEachin is clearly on track to serve another term as commonwealth's attorney with more than 71% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections. McEachin currently doesn't have a Republican challenger. Incumbent Antionette Irving is poised to win the Democratic primary for sheriff with 54% of votes, per unofficial results. Local House races
Axios
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Richmond voters reject former Mayor Levar Stoney in primary
Levar Stoney lost the city he led for eight years in the Democratic primary for Virginia's lieutenant governor. Why it matters: Richmond is central to the former mayor's political legacy — and voters here rejected him by a landslide, signaling a rebuke from the residents he once governed. By the numbers: Statewide, the race for the nomination was tight, with Virginia Sen. Ghazala Hashmi defeating Stoney by about 3,500 votes, per unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections as of Wednesday. But in Richmond, Hashmi swept with 58% of the vote and led the former mayor by over 10,500 votes in the city. Zoom in: Stoney came in third in parts of Richmond, though he won major swaths of South Richmond that also voted for him in the 2020 mayoral election. What they're saying: Richmond is "not the only thing that doomed him, but it is odd," Richard Meagher, a political science professor at Randolph-Macon College, tells Axios. "It's really rare that you get this kind of extreme test of a politician's former popularity." But some Richmonders have bucked against that perception, criticizing how Richmond police used tear gas on protesters under his watch. More recently, Stoney has been blamed for the breakdown that led to the January water crisis, which he partly pinned on his predecessor in a campaign event earlier this month. Other issues that some Richmonders hold against Stoney's administration: Stoney's campaign did not immediately return Axios' request for comment about whether he expected the loss in Richmond, what he attributes it to and what's next for his career.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats see record-breaking turnout ahead of Saturday's end to early voting in Virginia primaries
Virginia residents have just a few more days to cast ballots early in state and local primary elections. Early voting for the June 17 primary election ends on Saturday. Voters can cast ballots early in the jurisdiction in which they are registered, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. Every Virginia locality offers early in-person voting, but dates, times and locations vary by jurisdiction. To cast a ballot, voters will need to go to an early voting site in their city and either present an acceptable form of identification or sign a statement affirming their identity as a registered voter. This year, several state and local races have contested primaries. For statewide races, six Democratic candidates are vying for the position of lieutenant governor and two Democrats are facing off in the primary for attorney general. All 100 Virginia House of Delegates seats will be up for election in the fall. But in the Hampton Roads region, only a handful of primary challenges are taking place. Those include two Republicans running in House District 70, two Republicans and two Democrats facing off in House District 89, and two Republicans squaring off in House District 97. In local primaries, two Democrats are running for Norfolk commonwealth's attorney, two Republicans are running for Chesapeake Sherriff, two Democrats running for Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney and two Democrats running for Newport News treasurer. As of June 9, around 143,000 people have voted statewide in the primaries — more than 131,000 people in the Democratic primary and more than 11,000 in the Republican primary — according to the Virginia Public Access Project. The numbers include those voting in person and by mail. With no statewide GOP primaries, a smaller number of Republican voters live in areas with local primaries. However, early voter turnout among Democrats has reached record numbers for an off-year primary election. With several days of early voting left, turnout has already surpassed the total number of early voters in Democratic primaries in 2023 and 2021. Around 129,000 people voted early in 2023, and 124,000 people in 2021. Virginia expanded early voting options in 2021 following the coronavirus pandemic. In Hampton Roads, Democratic primary turnout as of June 9 ranges from a high of 7,311 votes, or 2.2% of registered voters, in Virginia Beach, to a low of 1,469 votes, or 1.9% of registered voters, in Suffolk. Out of the seven largest cities in the region, the biggest percentage of registered voters to cast ballots in the Democratic primary in Norfolk, with 4,729 votes and 3.3%. For the Republican primary, the most votes by far have been cast in Chesapeake, with 3,451 votes, or about 1.9% of registered voters. Election Day is Tuesday and polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345,
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
John Curran relaunches LG bid as write-in, alleging signature sabotage
John Curran has re-entered the lieutenant governor contest as a write-in candidate. (Photo courtesy of John Curran). John Curran, the former Republican candidate for lieutenant governor who said internal sabotage cost him a spot on the primary ballot, announced Monday he is re-entering the race — this time as a GOP-aligned write-in. 'Today, I am announcing my WRITE-IN campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia as a Republican,' Curran said in a statement. 'My decision is not to split the ticket but to save it.' Curran's announcement reignites tensions in an already turbulent race following his exit in April, when he failed to qualify for the ballot despite claiming to have far surpassed the 10,000-signature requirement. 'Unfortunately, a person(s) associated with my campaign conspired to steal most of my signatures and then attempted to extort money for them,' Curran wrote in a Facebook post after the filing deadline passed. 'Disappointingly, the Virginia Department of Elections and the Republican Party of Virginia did nothing to correct this wrong.' Mark Peake, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, dismissed Curran's write-in bid as entirely unofficial, distancing the party from his campaign. 'He is not running under the GOP banner whatsoever,' Peake said. 'We have a GOP candidate, and that's John Reid.' Peake pointed out that Curran never qualified for the Republican primary, despite claiming to be a contender. 'He failed to get enough signatures to get on the ballot,' he said. 'He is 100% not a Republican candidate in this upcoming election.' And Andrea Gaines, a spokeswoman for the department, said in an email that since write-in candidates do not appear on the ballot, 'they do not have party affiliation.' Political observers say Curran's surprise reentry raises more questions than answers. 'It is difficult to know what to make of John Curran's announcement,' said David Richards, a political science professor at the University of Lynchburg. 'As a write-in candidate, it seems like the sore loser law might not apply, but it also might limit his campaigning. Regardless, the whole thing seems odd.' Curran said in his statement that his campaign is fueled by 'grassroots organizations, religious and family groups, and collegiate groups' and not designed to divide the party. But by positioning himself as an alternative to Reid, the GOP's official nominee, he risks deepening an already visible rift within the party. 'Is Curran running to offer an alternative to John Reid? While that might seem a likely scenario, it has the danger of splitting the party,' Richards noted. 'And the GOP has already been wrestling with Reid's candidacy.' Reid, a conservative commentator and longtime Richmond radio host, became the GOP's nominee by default after Pat Herrity, a longtime member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, dropped out for health reasons. Late last month, Virginia's GOP turmoil escalated when Reid accused Gov. Glenn Youngkin's Spirit of Virginia PAC of attempted extortion, claiming the group offered to make damaging attacks disappear if he dropped out. Reid said the threats came after Youngkin personally urged him to quit over concerns tied to a controversial social media account. Reid, the first openly gay statewide candidate in Virginia history, called the situation 'bigotry and ugliness,' warning that the pressure from party leaders has only intensified. Curran alluded to those dynamics Monday, emphasizing that his concern is not Reid's personal background, but the process that installed him as nominee. 'This issue is not about my opponent being gay; it is about Virginia deserving the ability to choose who represents them as the Republican candidate,' he said. When asked for comment about Curran's renewed bid, a campaign spokesman for Reid texted back, 'Who?' Curran is now betting that Virginia conservatives will rally around a write-in candidacy — a historically uphill battle. 'Write-in campaigns are notoriously difficult to pull off,' Richards said, pointing to the failed 2024 effort by Bob Good supporters to mount a last-ditch write-in bid after his congressional primary defeat. 'Only a few hundred wrote in Good's name. This time it is a candidate himself announcing the write-in campaign. Maybe he will gain some traction, but it will take a tremendous shift in the GOP vote to make a difference.' Curran's platform touches on a range of issues — from housing and disaster recovery in Southwest Virginia to opposing abortion and improving adoption services. 'Virginia faces real issues that require strong leadership,' he said, portraying himself as a principled outsider wronged by the system. 'It is time for common sense and strength, for someone who will fight for everyone.' Still, his decision could prove costly for Republicans in November. 'Every write-in for Curran will mean a vote taken away from Reid,' Richards said. 'That opens the lead for whoever wins the Democratic primary in June.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Early voting begins today in Virginia
tazewell, va. — In-person early voting for Virginia's dual June 17 primary election begins today. Because there are six candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, all 133 Virginia counties are holding a Democratic primary. But 31 counties, including Tazewell County, will also be holding a Republican primary on June 17 due to the fact that two Republican candidates are seeking their party's nomination in the Western District board of supervisors contest. Early voting for the dual primary starts today and continues through Saturday June 14. In Tazewell County, early ballots will be cast at the voter registration office in North Tazewell, which is located at 2848 Riverside Drive in North Tazewell, according to Tazewell County Registrar Brian Earls. In the local Western District race, the two candidates vying for the Republican nomination for the Western District seat are Curt W. Breeding and Michael L. 'Mike' Wade. Voters will then 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. To cast an early ballot, registered voters should go to a designated early voting location within the jurisdiction in which they are registered, present their ID and cast a ballot, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. In addition to early voting, voters can also request an absentee ballot. Election officials will begin mailing requested absentee ballots today. Any registered voter can request an absentee ballot either in person, by mail, online or by contacting their general registrar's office. The deadline to request a mailed absentee ballot is June 6. On the June 17 ballot are Democratic Party primaries for lieutenant governor and attorney general as well as primaries for both Democratic and Republican nominees for House of Delegates seats and local races. Since only one gubernatorial candidate for each party qualified for the ballot, there will be no primary election for governor. Only those House of Delegates districts where more than one candidate qualified for the ballot will have a primary election. 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. Locally, Delegate James W. 'Will' Morefield, R-Tazewell, is seeking re-election in Virginia's 43rd Delegate District, which includes the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Tazewell, and parts of Dickenson and Russell counties. Morefield received the Republican nomination last month, and is now 8th in seniority in the House Republican Caucus and 15th in seniority out of 100 members in the Virginia House of Delegates. Contact Charles Owens at cowens@
