Cheat sheet to the 2023 Virginia primaries
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It's finally primary day in this year's General Assembly elections.
Why it matters: It's the first election since redistricting, when legislative lines were scrambled in a once-every-ten-years reset that has emboldened challengers.
- The House and Senate races have the potential to color Virginia politics for the next decade amid a surge of progressive and conservative campaigning to replace longtime incumbents.
What they're saying: "There's always a more aggressive environment in the first election after redistricting," said University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth.
Here are some of the races we'll be watching tonight.
Sen. Joe Morrissey vs. Lashrecse Aird: Democrat Morrissey has never looked weaker politically between his recent flameout of a congressional bid and abuse allegations by his estranged wife, who was once central to his political comeback.
- That's not to mention his past support of abortion restrictions, which puts him at odds with many Democratic primary voters in a year the party is counting on the issue to motivate its supporters.
- But it's still an open question whether Aird, a progressive former delegate who comes to the table without an iota of political baggage, can topple Morrissey, who has a history of defying the odds.
Sen. Amanda Chase vs. Tina Ramirez and Glen Sturtevant: This three-way GOP contest in Chesterfield pits the farthest-right Republican in the state Senate, Chase, against two more traditionally conservative challengers.
Sen. Creigh Deeds vs. Del. Sally Hudson: This Charlottesville-based Senate race typifies a progressive push to gain ground from moderate Democrats in the chamber.
- Hudson, an economics professor at UVA, has been hammering Deeds on his past votes opposing gun control in particular.
Hala Ayala vs. Jennifer Carroll Foy: On the surface, it's two failed Democratic statewide candidates battling against each other to claim a spot in the state Senate. Dig a little, and you'll find a proxy war between Dominion Energy ($225,000 in for Ayala) and its most deep-pocketed critic, millionaire investor Michael Bills ($440,000 in for Foy).
Sen. Louise Lucas vs. Sen. Lionell Spruill: This Democratic primary is kind of like watching a car wreck. The two longtime members, both proudly In their 70s, were drawn into the same district, and neither was willing to move into an open seat, so instead they've been attacking each other mercilessly.
What's next: Polls close at 7pm. Watch results start to roll on the Virginia Public Access Project's website.