For more on the June 17 primaries, see our Voter Guide.
The candidates for the House of Delegates elections have, for the most part, been set as the race to determine power in the state house gets underway.
Downballot, a handful of primary elections are expected for House seats held by Republicans in the Southwest and Southside regions. Over the weekend, Republican officials confirmed that enough candidates have filed to force three primaries in the region. On Tuesday, Virginia Democrats released their list of candidates and added two more primaries:
- A Democratic contest for House District 40, which will determine the challenger to incumbent Del. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County
- A Democratic primary contest for House District 49 after Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, announced his decision not to seek reelection. That means that district will see both a Democratic and a Republican primary.
House District 40: A Democratic primary to pick a candidate against Del. Joe McNamara
Donna Littlepage and Kiesha Preston will face off in the June 17 Democratic primary to determine who will move on to face McNamara in the November General Election.
The city of Salem, parts of Roanoke and parts of Roanoke County elected McNamara, who has served in the General Assembly since 2018, over Democrat Misty Vickers in another nearly 20-point victory for Republicans.
House District 49: Both a Democratic and Republican primary to pick House candidates in Danville area
Both Democrats and Republicans will hold primary elections to determine the nominees for the 49th District seat, after the incumbent Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, announced his decision not to seek reelection. Marshall cited health concerns and the need to rest and recover after undergoing a lung transplant as his motivating factor.
Vanessa Reynolds Scearce and Madison John Redd Whittle are vying for the Republican nomination, while Jasmine Lipscomb and Gary Miller are seeking the Democratic nomination in the June primary. The 49th District is deemed “leans Republican” by the Virginia Public Access Project, and is another that Democrats see as competitive. Marshall ran unopposed to represent the district in 2023.
“We don’t take any seats for granted,” said Garren Shipley, spokesperson for House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, when asked if Republicans view the 40th and 49th House District seats as competitive.
These races join others where Republican leaders say candidates have filed to force a primary:
House District 37: A Republican primary where Del. Terry Austin draws a challenger
A Republican contest will be held in House District 37, where Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt County, has a challenger. Austen Schwend, another Botetourt County Republican, filed paperwork to challenge the longtime incumbent.
House District 46: A Republican primary to nominate a candidate to succeed Del. Jed Arnold.
Mitchell Cornett and Adam Tolbert will go head-to-head in a Republican primary. The winner of that race could go on to the General Election unopposed unless a Democratic or independent candidate files the paperwork necessary by June 17, primary day. In races where no one has filed, a party committee without anyone running has until that date to nominate a candidate.
Both Cornett and Tolbert entered the race after the incumbent, Del. Jed Arnold, R-Smyth County, announced earlier this year that he does not plan to seek reelection. Arnold cited the health concerns of his wife as the reason behind his decision. Arnold, a former legislative aide to Del. Jeff Campbell, R-Smyth County, won a special election by 95% to the seat held by his boss in 2023 after he ran unopposed. The 46th District is deemed “strongly Republican” by the Virginia Public Access Project.
Here’s who else is running for House of Delegates across Southwest and Southside Virginia:
House District 35
Incumbent: Del. Chris Runion, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: None
House District 36
Incumbent: Del. Ellen Campbell, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Makayla Venable, Democrat
House District 37
Incumbent: Del. Terry Austin, Republican
Primary: Yes, Republican — Terry Austin and Austen Schwend
General Election challenger: None
House District 38
Incumbent: Del. Sam Rasoul, Democrat
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Maynard L. Keller Jr., Independent
House District 39
Incumbent: Del. Will Davis, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Eric Klotz, Democrat
House District 40
Incumbent: Del. Joe McNamara, Republican
Primary: Yes, Democratic — Donna M. Littlepage and Kiesha Preston
General Election challenger: To be determined by primary
House District 41
Incumbent: Del. Chris Obenshain, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Lily Franklin
House District 42
Incumbent: Del. Jason Ballard, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: None
House District 43
Incumbent: Del. Will Morefield, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Mary Etta Sumner, Democrat
House District 44
Incumbent: Del. Israel O’Quinn, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: None
House District 45
Incumbent: Del. Terry Kilgore, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: None
House District 46
Incumbent: Del. Jed Arnold, Republican, not seeking re-election
Primary: Yes, Republican — Mitchell D. Cornett and Adam L. Tolbert
General Election challenger: None
House District 47
Incumbent: Del. Wren Williams, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Yvonne Rorrer
House District 48
Incumbent: Del. Eric Phillips, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Melody Ann Cartwright, Democrat
House District 49
Incumbent: Del. Danny Marshall, Republican, not seeking reelection
Primary: Yes, Republican — Vanessa Reynolds Scearce and Madison John Redd Whittle; Democrat — Jasmine Lipscomb and Gary Miller
General Election challenger: To be determined by primaries
House District 50
Incumbent: Del. Tommy Wright, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Earnadette Powell Farrar, Democrat; and Trudy Berry, Independent
House District 51
Incumbent: Del. Eric Zehr, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Joy Powers, Democrat
House District 52
Incumbent: Del. Wendell Walker, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Rise Marie Hayes
House District 53
Incumbent: Del. Tim Griffin, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Sam Soghor
House District 56
Incumbent: Del. Tom Garrett, Republican
Primary: No
General Election challenger: Angela Chainer