Donald Trump

What Virginia Voters Need to Know for Primary

Virginia voters will make their picks in Senate and House primary contests Tuesday.

Polls will be open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Each voter will need to bring a photo ID. Valid forms of identification include a driver's license, passport or student ID. A voter who forgets ID can cast a provisional ballot but will have to complete follow-up steps to ensure that it's counted.

Anyone not already registered won't be able to vote. Virginia doesn't allow same-day registration.

Here's a look at some key races:

Senate

Republican voters will choose among three candidates to replace incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine, a former governor and vice presidential candidate now seeking a second term in the Senate. They are Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors; Nick Freitas, a state delegate; and E.W. Jackson, a minister.

Stewart and Freitas amped up attacks on each other in the closing days of the race. Stewart is a die-hard supporter of President Donald Trump and has criticized Freitas as being insufficiently loyal to the president. Freitas has accused Stewart of showing poor judgment because of past associations with “hate mongers.”

Several high-profile Republicans who had expressed interest in running took a pass after an anti-Trump wave crushed Republicans in state-level elections last year.

All three Republican candidates have struggled to raise money, putting the winner at a serious cash disadvantage against Kaine, who is expected to raise about $25 million for this election.

House District 10

Six Democrats are on the ballot for northern Virginia's 10th Congressional District in what should set up a closely watched general election contest against the likely winner of the Republican primary, Rep. Barbara Comstock. She's considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents in Congress.

Hillary Clinton won the district by 10 percentage points, and Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam won by 11. But Comstock easily beat a Democrat in 2016 and has often been critical of Trump.

The Democratic primary front-runner has been state Sen. Jennifer Wexton, who has been endorsed by Northam.

Former Obama administration official Lindsey Davis Stover says she is the only candidate with federal legislative experience. Dan Helmer highlights his military experience and his academic credentials as a Rhodes Scholar. Paul Pelletier cites his experience as a federal prosecutor handling health care and gun violence cases. Alison Friedman cites her experience at the State Department and in the private sector, fighting human trafficking. Julia Biggins cites her credentials as a scientist.

Comstock faces a primary challenge from Air Force veteran Shak Hill.

House District 7

Four years ago, Dave Brat made history by toppling U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the GOP primary. Now Brat is the one with the target on his back.

Two Democrats are fighting for the chance to take on Brat in the general election. Former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger and former Marine pilot Dan Ward are hoping to flip the Republican-leaning district in central Virginia, which Trump won by more than 6 percentage points.

House District 1

Republican Rob Wittman is running for re-election for this seat covering parts of Prince William, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties. Wittman was first elected in 2007.

There are three Democrats seeking the nomination to run against Wittman. Edwin Santana is a second generation Puerto Rican Democrat who is a Marine Corps officer. John Suddarth is a native of Prince William County who attended West Point and owns a commercial real estate company. Vangie Williams, a government contractor, is the only woman in the race.

Alexandria Mayor

Mayor Allison Silberberg is running for her second term. Before that, she served as vice mayor. Silberberg has taken a stand against certain development and is often at odds with the rest of the all-Democratic City Council.

Vice Mayor Justin Wilson is waging an intraparty challenge. He was first elected to the council in 2007. He works for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak).

Because of the heavily Democratic nature of Alexandria, the primary usually decides the winner in November. Republicans will choose their candidate for mayor at a caucus this month.

Alexandria City Council

Twelve candidates are running for six seats. There will be at least two new council members because one incumbent isn't running and Wilson is running for mayor.

The incumbents are Willie Bailey, John Taylor Chapman, Redella "Del" Pepper (seeking her 12th term at age 80) and Paul Smedberg.

The challengers are: Canek Aquirre, Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, Matt Feely, Dak Hardwick, Chris Hubbard, Amy Jackson, Robert Ray IV and Mo Seifeldein.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us