The date for the mass meeting to nominate the Republican candidate for state Senate District 10, the seat state Sen. John McGuire will need to vacate by January to serve in Congress, was changed and the location was finalized during a meeting Tuesday evening.
The mass meeting to determine the GOP nominee will now be held Dec. 13 at the Goochland Sports Complex. Residents of the 10th District who want to take part in the process can register at the complex between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. that day.
The Legislative District Committee met Tuesday night — a week after its previous meeting where the date, time and nomination method were initially determined — to change the schedule. The date for the mass meeting may have been changed because the ideal location for the meeting was not available on the original date, according to emails sent to candidates and party officials and obtained by Cardinal News.
Mass meeting attendees, who are credentialed when they register at the door, will vote in rounds for one candidate each round until a candidate receives the majority of the votes. Seven Republican candidates are seeking the nomination in the solidly conservative district. District 10 encompasses 11 localities, including Appomattox, Amelia and Louisa counties.
Those candidates are, in alphabetical order: Duane Adams, chair of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors; Amanda Chase, a former state senator who lost a primary election in the 12th District 2023 race to Sen. Glen Sturtevant; Alex Cheatham, a recent college graduate seeking to motivate young Republicans; Luther Cifers, a businessman who launched YakAttack; Jean Gannon, former chair of the Powhatan County Republican Party; Bryan Hamlet, a member of the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors; and Shayne Snavely, a former legislative aide to Chase and Sen. Bryce Reeves. Democrat Jack Trammell is also seeking the seat but will not take part in the Republican nominating process.
McGuire has yet to resign from the state Senate, after winning the 5th Congressional District election on Nov. 5, and Virginia’s Senate leaders are unable to set a date for the special election until he steps down. Virginia’s Nov. 5 election results will be certified by the State Board of Elections on Dec. 2.