Former Congressman Tom Perriello is one of several Democrats challenging John McGuire. Journalist and author Beth Macy is among those challenging Ben Cline, and Henrico County prosecutor Shannon Taylor is challenging Rob Wittman. All of this despite the effort to throw the current district lines in the garbage and redraw a congressional map favoring Democrats.
"They're trying to signal to donors that we're interested and we're running so that they can save a spot for themselves in the primary season. Where? How? What is it going to look like? I think that becomes a secondary notion these days," says David Ramadan at George Mason University's Schar School.
He says candidates want to raise enough money to scare away the competition, and the sooner they do that the better. Other political analysts note an environment that's been favorable to Democratic challengers.
"Reading the tea leaves, as my grandma would say, I think that's something all of these candidates are doing and they like their odds. They like their chances," says Wes Bellamy at Virginia State University, "and they feel as if this is their opportunity to get in the game and either flip some of these seats or return to seats that they once held like we see in the case of Tom Perriello."
He says the parade of candidates is just starting, and he's expecting a bumper crop of announcements in anticipation of a year when Virginia Republicans could lose as many as four seats if Democrats are able to draw maps favorable to themselves.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
