Virginia votes every year, and this year we’ll elect our Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and all 100 members of the House of Delegates.
But before November some will face a June 17th primary and all will need to raise millions to earn their seats and make a national statement. Virginia is one of two states that elect a governor the year after a Presidential election, often making it a referendum on that person in the White House.
Two Democrats want the party’s nod for AG, while six are on the primary ballot for Lieutenant Governor. Republicans will also have a contested primary for the LG post.
Lynchburg Senator and newly elected Republican Party of Virginia Chair Mark Peake hopes the 6-way Democratic LG primary is an expensive main event.
“I’m really hoping for a real bloody, nasty primary,” Peake told Radio IQ in an interview Wednesday. “They’ve got really different candidates who are very ambitious, young and I hope they just maul each other.”
Peake also said he hopes President Donald Trump and his top advisor Elon Musk spend money and campaign in Virginia. That’s an offer Richmond Senator Lamont Bagby, who was similarly just elected as chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, welcomes.
“I’d love for them to come to Virginia as well,” Bagby told Radio IQ Wednesday. “Hopefully they will answer for some of the decisions they’re making and let us know what they plan to do with Medicaid, with federal workers and with our education system.”
There are a small number of primaries for House of Delegates seats, but the total number of down ballot races in November could benefit those at the top, says University of Mary Washington professor Steven Farnsworth
“If you run a party candidate in as many districts as possible, you’ll increase the turnout,” Farnsworth said. “That can help the candidates for governor.”
For now, Democrats have candidates running in 91 House races, Republicans have 66. Though both parties could still recruit more.
The start of election season in Virginia also brings a massive influx of political spending. In the 2023 House of Delegates race over $170 million was spent and there’s little reason to think more won't be spent this year.
So far, in the gubernatorial race, Democrat Abigail Spanberger has about $12 million in cash and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears has about half that.
Peake noted Virginia law forbids fundraising during the legislative session for Earle-Sears which could explain her lagging haul. And Peake is expecting funds to pour in soon.
“I think you’ll see us step up. We’ve been talking to RNC, the Republican Governors Association,” he said. “I know Winsome has been working with them. I think we will get national involvement in this race.”
Like the top of the ticket, most of Bagby’s party’s down ballot candidates have outraised their Republican opponents, including in 12 seats considered competitive by the Virginia Public Access Project. But Bagby is viewing it like a game of political football.
“Where someone is up in the first quarter and they get comfortable,” he said. “What we won't do is get comfortable. We’re going to keep on getting funds in the coffers but also make sure we’re doing the work.”
Farnsworth said early fundraising numbers may show interest in a candidate, but that’s from donors, not voters and lots can go wrong before election day.
“You still have the problem of not being able to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, as the saying goes," he said. “If you are an unappealing candidate for whatever reason, money doesn’t buy you love.”
Virginians can expect that money to be spent on countless political ads on their TV’s radios and phones between now and election day this November.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
