Early voting in the June 17 primaries starts May 2. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)
Virginia voters can begin casting ballots Friday, May 2, as early voting opens for the June 17 primary elections. These primaries will determine party nominees for key statewide offices and legislative seats ahead of the November general election, which could reshape the state’s political landscape.
While Virginia’s gubernatorial race between Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is set, Democrats still have to settle their tickets for lieutenant governor and attorney general.
All 133 Virginia localities will hold a Democratic primary, while just 31 will host a Republican one. Six candidates are competing in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor:
A labor leader and employment attorney from Northern Virginia, Alex Bastani once juggled law school at night while working as an economist at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, made history in 2019 when she became the first Muslim and South Asian American woman elected to the Virginia Senate.
With a background in medicine and education, Dr. Babur Lateef chairs the Prince William County School Board and has led the University of Virginia Health System Board.
State Sen. Aaron Rouse, a Virginia Beach state senator and former NFL safety, won his seat in a 2023 special election.
A former federal prosecutor now practicing law in Arlington, Victor Salgado handled high-profile cases during his tenure, including the prosecution of Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
And Levar Stoney, who served as Richmond’s youngest mayor until January, also held the role of Virginia’s Secretary of the Commonwealth before launching his bid for higher office.
The winner will face Republican nominee John Reid, a conservative radio host and the first openly gay man to run statewide in Virginia.
Reid’s candidacy has sparked controversy within the GOP after explicit images surfaced online, leading Gov. Glenn Youngkin to request his withdrawal. Reid denies any connection to the images and has vowed to continue his campaign, highlighting internal divisions within the party.
For attorney general, the Democratic primary features Jay Jones, a former state delegate from Norfolk who in 2021 unsuccessfully challenged then-incumbent Mark Herring for his party’s nomination, and Shannon Taylor, Henrico County’s commonwealth’s attorney.
Jones, a lifelong Norfolk resident, previously served as an assistant attorney general and represented the 89th District in the House of Delegates. Taylor, first elected in 2011, has emphasized her experience as a prosecutor in her campaign.
The victor will challenge incumbent Republican Jason Miyares, who is seeking re-election.
House of Delegates: Competitive primaries across the state
All 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates are up for election this year. Democrats currently hold a narrow majority, and both parties are fielding candidates in multiple districts.
Several Democratic primaries are drawing attention:
House District 1: Incumbent Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, faces a challenge from Sean Phillip Epstein and Arjoon Srikanth
House District 32: Michael Forbes and Jonathan Michael Lucci are seeking their party’s nomination to challenge Del. Bill Wiley, R-Winchester.
House District 40: Donna Littlepage and Kiesha Preston are running to take on Del. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County.
House District 49: Jasmine Lipscomb and Gary Miller are vying for their party’s nomination in a Republican-leaning district currently represented by Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, who is not seeking reelection.
House District 57: May Nivar and Andrew Schear are seeking to take on Del. David Owen, R-Henrico.
House District 72: Randolph Critzer and Bilal Raychouni are competing for the chance to challenge Del. Lee Ware, D-Powhatan.
House District 73: Voters will choose between Leslie Mehta and Justin Woodford to decide who challenges Del. Mark Earley, R-Chesterfield, and independent candidate Michael Talat Saleh Azab.
House District 75: In the most crowded House primary this cycle, Lindsey Dougherty, Stephen Miller-Pitts and Dustin Wade are battling for the opportunity to oppose Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield.
House District 81: Alicia Atkins is taking on Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond. No Republican has filed in this district yet.
House District 89: The primary between Blaizen Buckshot Bloom and Karen Robins Carnegie will decide which Democrat will face the Republican nominee hoping to succeed Del. Baxter Ennis, R-Chesapeake.
Republicans are having primaries in these districts:
House District 21: Gregory Lee Gorham, Xanthe Larsen and Sahar Smith are competing for the chance to unseat Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William.
House District 37: Austen Schwend is hoping to unseat Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt. If successful, he will face Sharron Burgess, the lone Democrat running in this Republican-leaning district, in the November election.
House District 46: Mitchell Cornett and Adam Tolbert are hoping to face Democrat Jamie Ralston Henry in this district currently represented by Del. Jed Arnold, R-Smyth, who is not seeking reelection.
House District 49: The primary contest between Vanessa Reynolds Scearce and Madison Whittle will decide who will succeed Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, and face the Democratic nominee who has yet to be selected.
House District 62: Karen Hamilton and Clay Jackson are competing for the chance to take on Sara Ratcliffe, the lone Democrat running in this district.
House District 70: The winner between Cynthia Scaturico and Hailey Shupe-Dollar will go up against Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, in November.
House District 89: Either Mike Lamonea or Kristen Shannon will face the Democratic nominee in a district currently represented by Del. Baxter Ennis, R-Chesapeake, who is not running for reelection.
House District 97: Former Del. Tim Anderson and Christina Miriam Felder are seeking the Republican nomination to take on Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach.
All 133 Virginia localities will hold a Democratic primary in 2025, while just 31 will host a Republican one. (Photo courtesy of the Virginia Department of Elections)
Voting information and key dates
Virginia conducts open primaries, allowing any registered voter to participate in either party’s primary, though not both. Early voting runs from May 2 through June 14. Voters can cast ballots in person at their local registrar’s office or vote by mail.
Important deadlines:
May 27: Deadline to register to vote or update registration.
June 6: Deadline to apply for a mailed absentee ballot.
June 14: Last day for in-person early voting.
June 17: Primary Election Day
For more information on early voting locations and to find your polling place, visit the Virginia Department of Elections website.
Voter turnout forecast
In recent years, voter turnout in Virginia’s primary elections has fluctuated, reflecting varying levels of public engagement. For instance, the 2021 Democratic primary saw about 8% of registered voters casting ballots — a slight decrease from the 10% turnout in 2017, which was one of the highest in recent history. This dip occurred despite the presence of competitive races and increased accessibility to early voting options.
Nationally, primary election turnout often lags behind general elections. Since 2000, average turnout for general elections in the U.S. has been more than twice as high as for primaries.
This trend suggests that while general elections draw broader participation, primaries are typically decided by a more engaged subset of voters.