Early voting for the June primaries is open now and runs through June 15 at local registrar’s offices across the commonwealth. The primary election itself will take place Tuesday, June 18.
If an absentee ballot’s been requested, those are being sent out starting Friday. The deadline to request one is June 7, and absentee ballots for the primary must be postmarked no later than June 18 in order to be counted.
The deadline to register to vote in the primaries is May 28. However, Virginia permits same-day voter registration — and a provisional primary ballot can be obtained after that date.
A list of candidates competing in the primaries can be found on the state’s elections website. The winners of those contests will be on November general election ballots.
How do I know if I am registered to vote?
To check registration status online, head to the Virginia Department of Elections portal. If you believe you registered to vote but do not appear in the system, contact your local registrar’s office.
What do I need to bring to my polling location?
To cast an early in-person ballot, residents need to visit their local office with appropriate ID — like a drivers license, military or student ID. A list of what types of ID are valid in the commonwealth can be found on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
Virginia law requires all registered voters to show one acceptable form of ID to vote in person.
Where are the local races?
The June primaries are for races with multiple Democrat or Republican candidates.
That means local initiatives and elections when an incumbent candidate is unopposed will not appear on ballots. This applies to offices that don't require party affiliation — like Richmond mayor, Richmond City Council and Richmond school board.
The following Virginia localities have local races on their primary ballots for mayor, city council, county supervisor and/or sheriff.
What if I am turned away from a polling location?
The Virginia Department of Elections advises that if you are turned away for any reason, ask to vote with a provisional ballot.
How can I file a voter complaint?
You can send a letter to the Virginia Department of Elections or file an informal complaint form online. To do that, visit the department’s website or send an email to [email protected].
Other questions about voting
If you’ve got a question about voting, call the state Department of Elections at 1-800-552-9745.
U.S. Senate
Incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine is a well-known quantity across the commonwealth, having served in a variety of elected roles for more than 20 years.
Kaine was a member of Richmond City Council and served as mayor, as well as lieutenant governor and governor, before moving on to his federal position in 2012. He also ran for vice president in 2016 on Hillary Clinton’s ticket.
He has no Democratic challengers and moves directly to the November general election. As VPM News previously reported, eight Republicans were vying for the chance to oppose the incumbent — but five are included on the primary ballot.
Hung Cao
Cao is a retired Navy veteran who entered the race back in July 2023. He has questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.
Cao's website lists border security and "DEI/CRT" as issues he's keen to work on.
Jonathan Emord
Emord’s an attorney who previously worked for the Federal Communications Commission during President Ronald Reagan’s term. He’s the author of several books focused on, among other things, authoritarianism and censorship.
Eddie Garcia
Garcia’s an Army veteran living in Arlington.
He’s worked as an Army congressional liaison and a congressional defense fellow, according to his LinkedIn profile, and is running on an "All American Agenda." Garcia wants to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and promote "life at all stages."
Scott Parkinson
Parkinson previously worked as chief of staff for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during his 2018 re-election bid — and later on the Republican’s failed run for the GOP presidential nomination. Parkinson also works as vice president of government affairs for the Club for Growth, a conservative small government group, according to The Associated Press.
Chuck Smith
Smith is a retired U.S. Navy officer who resides in Virginia Beach.
His campaign website said he intends to protect “life from conception until natural death,” and “review and redress” liberal policies enacted by Congress. Former state Sen. Amanda Chase is listed on the site under Smith’s "Endorsements" tab.
U.S. House of Representatives
1st District, Democrats
Longtime incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman has no Republican challengers and will face either Democrat Herb Jones or Leslie Mehta in November’s election.
During his tenure, Wittman has touted his efforts to support the military, create jobs in the commonweal and provide students with a "21st-century education." He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and as vice chairperson of the House Armed Services Committee.
Herb Jones
Jones, a retired U.S. Army colonel, is a small business owner and former treasurer for New Kent County. His campaign website touts his focus on reproductive freedom, public education, fair elections and gun safety legislation.
This is Jones’ second run for the seat: He previously lost to Wittman in 2022, when he carried 43% of the vote to Wittman’s 56%. Jones has been endorsed by former Gov. Ralph Northam.
Leslie Mehta
Mehta, a civil rights attorney who was the ACLU of Virginia's former legal director, has worked on state commissions during the Northam and Youngkin's administrations. Her campaign website identifies health care, public school funding, reproductive rights access, gun safety legislation, climate change and the protection of democracy as priorities.
She’s been endorsed by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (who is running for governor next year); state Sens. Ghazala Hashmi, Mamie Locke, Aaron Rouse and Schuyler VanValkenburg; Dels. Rae Cousins, Destiny Levere Bolling, Irene Shin, Shelly Simonds and Rodney Willett; former Del. Albert Pollard; and a variety of local elected officials in Richmond, and Chesterfield and Henrico counties.
4th District
Rep. Jennifer McClellan, the incumbent Democrat, is running unopposed in Virginia’s 4th District. McClellan is currently finishing out the remainder of former Rep. Don McEachin’s term following his 2022 death from cancer complications. McClellan is the first Black woman Virginia has elected to Congress.
As the presumptive nominee, and with no Republican challengers, McClellan will not appear on primary ballots and moves directly to the November general election.
5th District, Republicans
Bob Good
U.S. Rep. Bob Good is the incumbent in this seat and has represented the district since 2021. He has been chairman of the House Freedom Caucus — the most conservative group within Congress — since January. He is also on the House Budget Committee, as well as the Education and the Workforce Committee, where he chairs the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions subcommittee.
Good was one of eight congressional Republicans who voted in October to remove Kevin McCarthy from his role as Speaker of the House.
He initially endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the Republican presidential nominee, but has since switched to supporting former President Donald Trump after DeSantis dropped out. His campaign website leads with the slogan “Good for Congress. Better for Us.”
John McGuire
State Sen. John McGuire is Good’s lone challenger for the 5th District. He currently serves as the state senator for Virginia’s 10th Senate District. In the General Assembly, he serves on the Local Government, Transportation, and Privileges and Elections committees. He also served as delegate for Virginia’s 56th House District.
In 2019, he initially ran as a Republican candidate for the 7th Congressional District, but lost to Del. Nick Freitas, who would ultimately be defeated by Rep. Abigail Spanberger in that race.
McGuire is a Navy SEAL veteran who lives in Goochland County and was present at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when a violent coup attempt occurred.
He has been a strong Trump supporter. Both he and Good have repeated false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
One of his campaign slogans is “America First. Always,” and he is running as a “fearless, unapologetic, Christian conservative.” McGuire's campaign website does not state a full platform, but does note that he is “Pro-Life. Pro-Gun. Pro-Trump.”
5th District, Democrats
Paul Riley
Riley is a defense contractor who previously served in the U.S. Army for two decades. He lives in Crozet with his wife and children.
Riley’s campaign website lists government transparency, gun ownership and women's health among his priorities.
Gary Terry
Terry’s worked for the YMCA in two Ohio cities, as well as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America in Danville. He calls himself a “moderate pragmatic problem solver.”
Terry lists the cost of consumer goods, women's health and gun legislation that would "enshrine safety alongside liberty” as issues he’d focus on.
Gloria Witt
Witt worked in the energy industry for three decades before retiring and serving as president of the Amherst County NAACP.
Witt's campaign website said she was prompted to enter the race by a desire to protect the rights of “women, minorities, the LGBTQ+ community” and others.
7th District, Democrats
Andrea O. Bailey
Bailey is currently serving her second term on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. While in that position, she's worked on issues like housing and public health.
Bailey lives in Dumfries with her husband, Cozy.
Carl B. Bedell
Bedell is an Army veteran who lives in Greene County. On his campaign website, Bedell calls himself a "moderate Democrat" and references the need for fiscal responsibility in Congress.
Bedell works as a government contractor and an attorney, who focuses on veterans’ disability, according to The Washington Post. He also served on the Virginia Board of Veteran Services.
Margaret Angela Franklin
Franklin is a member of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and has worked with a number of elected officials in the past, including U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, according to the county website. She lives in Woodbridge.
On her campaign site, Franklin lists reproductive rights, gun violence, the economy and education as policy points she would focus on if elected.
Elizabeth R. Guzman
Guzman is a former state delegate living in Prince William, who works as a social worker and public administrator. She’s also previously run for lieutenant governor and state Senate.
Her campaign site doesn’t list legislative priorities, though it discusses work on health care she did during her time in the General Assembly. She’s been endorsed by the AFL-CIO.
Cliff Heinzer
Heinzer was a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces and served as chairperson of the Stafford Democratic Committee.
In February, Heinzer told The Washington Post that border security and Middle East politics were issues he was keen to address if elected.
Briana D. Sewell
Sewell is currently a state delegate, representing the 25th District and lives in the northern portion of Prince William. A campaign video highlights Sewell’s work on veterans' affairs and education.
Her campaign site doesn’t list priorities, but Sewell has posted about marijuana reform on her candidate Facebook page.
Eugene S. Vindman
Vindman is a relative newcomer to Virginia politics, who has been endorsed by groups such as VoteVets. He lives in Prince William County.
He retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel, despite serving as a colonel, due to military retirement protocol. He has previously worked at the National Security Council. In 2019, he and twin brother Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman reported a phone call they've referred to as improper between former President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Some of the listed priorities on his campaign website include protecting abortion rights, combatting book bans, expanding access to rural broadband and blockchain and crypto technologies.
7th District, Republicans
Derrick Anderson
Anderson is a U.S. Army Green Beret veteran and practicing attorney who lives in Spotsylvania County. He also worked in President Donald Trump's White House with the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
While his campaign website does not outline a political platform, it does include his recent media appearances and endorsements — like U.S. House leadership like Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, as well as Sen. Tom Cotton.
Cameron Hamilton
Hamilton is a former Navy SEAL living in Orange County, according to his campaign website. He subsequently worked as director of the Emergency Medical Services Division in the Homeland Security department.
Hamilton lists Moms for America, Veterans for America First and Drain the Swamp PAC as endorsements on his website, and highlights the border, the Second Amendment and an opposition to health mandates as priorities.
Maria Martin
Martin has worked in education, and highlights the need to pay teachers a wage commensurate with other public employees with advanced degrees. She lives in Dumfries.
Her platform page also lists taxes, the environment and health care as issues she'll focus on if elected.
Jonathon Paul Myers
Myers lives in Stafford and is a 14th-generation Virginian, according to his campaign website. He served in the Iraq War as a member of the Marine Corps.
Myers lists the cost of living and national security — as well as "law and order" — as major issues for his campaign.
John Prabhudoss
Prabhudoss is a small business owner who refers to himself as a common sense conservative. He lives in Henrico County.
His campaign emphasizes "parental empowerment in education," military support, small businesses and lowering taxes. According to a campaign video, Prabhudoss plans to “work with Trump to finish the wall.”
Terris Todd
The Rev. Terris Todd is a longtime educator who worked for the Heritage Foundation as its advisor of coalitions engagement in 2020. He was later appointed by Trump's White House to work on the Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. He lives in Woodbridge.
Todd's campaign website touts his focus on protecting the rights of parents, border security, education, jobs, military affairs, energy and freedom of expression.
