Voter guide 2025: What's on the ballot in Richmond
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It's less than 30 days till Election Day in Virginia.
Why it matters: The nonstop barrage of political ads, partisan mailers, campaign text messages and calls is almost over.
The big picture: Virginia's off-year elections are typically watched for insight into the national political mood. And this year, the state is seen as an early test of how voters feel about the Trump administration ahead of the 2026 midterms.
What's on the ballot: Virginia's next governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
- All 100 House of Delegates seats, including 10 in metro Richmond.
- Plus, Richmond residents will vote on the city's Commonwealth's attorney, sheriff and treasurer — all incumbents running uncontested.
The intrigue: It's been a spicy election season in Virginia, from early cracks in the GOP ticket over their lieutenant governor nominee to a recent text scandal involving the Democratic attorney general candidate.
- But no matter the outcome, it will be a historic election for Virginia because the state will have its first woman governor come 2026.
- Virginia could also end up with its first openly gay or Muslim American lieutenant governor, its first Black attorney general or, possibly, a rare split-party executive branch.
Here's everything to know in Virginia's historic 2025 election.
The governor's race
🔴 Winsome Earle-Sears (R) vs. 🔵 Abigail Spanberger (D)
- Earle-Sears, a former Marine and Virginia's current lieutenant governor, is the first Black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia.
- Spanberger is a former CIA agent and U.S. congresswoman.
Go deeper for where they stand on key issues
Lieutenant governor
🔵 Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D) vs. 🔴 John Reid (R)
- Hashmi, who represents Chesterfield and parts of South Richmond in the General Assembly, would be the country's first Muslim American woman elected lieutenant governor, if she wins.
- Reid, a longtime conservative talk show host in Richmond, is the Commonwealth's first openly gay nominee for statewide office of any party.
Attorney general
🔵 Jay Jones (D) vs. 🔴 Jason Miyares (R)
- Jones, a former Norfolk delegate in the statehouse, could be Virginia's first Black AG.
- Miyares, Virginia's current attorney general, was the first Latino to hold statewide office.
Local House of Delegates races
Several Richmond races are considered highly competitive — and their results could decide the chamber's party control, Larry Sabato with UVA's Center for Politics told WWBT. (The races Sabato noted are bolded below.)
- In House District 57, which includes Henrico and parts of Goochland, Democrat May Nivar is challenging Republican Del. David Owen.
- HD 58 (all Henrico): Republican Milad Mikhail vs. Democrat Del. Rodney Willett.
- For HD 72, which includes Chesterfield, Democrat Randolph Critzer faces Republican Del. Lee Ware.
- For the all-Chesterfield HD 73, Democrat Leslie Mehta will face off against Republican Del. Mark Earley Jr.
- In HD 75, also Chesterfield, Democrat Lindsey Dougherty is challenging Republican Del. Carrie Coyner.
- In HD 76, which is also all Chesterfield, Republican John Thomas is taking on Democrat Del. Debra Gardner.
- In HD 77, part of Richmond and Chesterfield, Republican Richard Stonage, Jr. is vying to unseat Del. Michael Jones
- In HD 78, which is half of the city of Richmond, Republican Rich Prado is challenging Democrat Del. Betsy Carr.
- HD 79, an all Richmond city district, Republican Kelsey Linnehan faces Democrat Del. Rae Cousins.
- HD 80, which is all Henrico, Democrat Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling is running unopposed.
- In HD 81, which is Henrico and a sliver of Chesterfield, Democrat Del. Delores McQuinn is running unopposed.
Key dates
Ongoing through Nov. 1: In-person early voting is available until Nov. 1 at 5pm. Find early voting sites.
Oct. 24: Last day to register to vote. Do so by 5pm in person or 11:59pm online, unless you plan to take advantage of same-day registration during the early voting period. (Check your registration information here.)
- It's also the last day to request absentee ballots. Do so by 5pm.
Nov. 4: Election Day. Polls are open 6am-7pm.
- Don't forget your driver's license or another acceptable photo ID from this list.
Nov. 7: Deadline for returning absentee ballots.
- Here's everything you need to know about voting by mail.
Go deeper: Why Virginia's House races matter more than you may think