Virginia and Hampton Roads voters picked the candidates that will appear on November’s ballot yesterday, ending several competitive primary competitions for local elected positions.
In primaries, political party members run against each other. The winner becomes the party’s nominee for the general election.
Not every race requires a primary if a party agrees on a candidate. In the governor’s race, for example, there was no primary election. The Virginia Republican Party already decided to nominate Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, while Virginia Democrats nominated former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger.
But several local races were competitive.
In a closely watched Democratic contest in Norfolk, current Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi kept his place as the party nominee. But in Newport News, longtime Democratic prosecutor Howard Gwynn lost to Shannon Jones, who works in the city attorney's office.
Republican candidates faced off for the Sheriff’s nomination in Chesapeake. Wallace Chadwick III won the party nomination over incumbent Dave Rosado, who was appointed to the position last fall.
Former Virginia Beach Republican delegate Tim Anderson won his primary easily. He’ll face Democrat Michael Feggans in November. They’ll campaign to represent part of the city in the House of Delegates.
At the statewide level, former Norfolk delegate Jay Jones won the Democratic nomination for Attorney General.
“The most powerful corporations and special interests believe that Virginia’s government should be beholden to them,” Jones wrote in a press release after his win.
“They will spend more trying to beat us in November by funding Donald Trump’s pro bono attorney, Jason Miyares. And we are ready for that fight because it’s not their government, it’s yours. As your next Attorney General, I will return the power back to you.”
Virginians will head to the polls in November to vote for the next governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, all 100 seats in the House of Delegates and a number of local seats.
The Commonwealth’s off-year statewide elections are considered a bellwether for federal midterm elections.
