Summer elections

Democrat primary election is scheduled for June 11

Virginia’s primary elections are scheduled to take place May 7 for the Republicans and June 11 for the Democrats. During this time, candidates will be nominated for the November general election.

Liberty alumnus Zach Martin is running in the Bedford County Republican primary elections for the 19th District House of Delegates. The seat opened when Lacey Putney retired this spring.

“There is no Democrat who has declared to run,” a Republican spokesperson said.

According to the City of Lynchburg’s website, the election is for both Republican and Democratic candidates. The Democrats will be voting on nominees for Governor, Lieutenant General and Attorney General while the Republicans will be electing new House of Delegates members.

“This year, the Republicans decided to hold a convention instead of a primary, so voters will not take part in nominating candidates like they will for the Democratic Party,” a Voters’ Registration employee said.

The only person running for the Democratic nomination in the gubernatorial election is Terry McAuliffe. His opponent from the Republican Party is Ken Cuccinelli. Because both of these candidates were the only ones to qualify for this position, no primary election will be necessary, according to the City of Lynchburg’s website.

The two Democrats up for nomination for Lieutenant General are Ralph Northam and Aneesh Chopra. The Lieutenant General holds a very important position in the Virginia Senate.

“With an even split between Democrats and Republicans in the Virginia Senate, the Lieutenant Governor will be tasked with casting the tie-breaking vote on key legislation impacting the Commonwealth,” according to Northam’s official site.

The Democrats have also nominated two candidates for Attorney General: Justin Fairfax and Mark Herring.

It is important for people to get involved in voting for local politicians, as voting is a freedom that many countries do not have. For more information on the election, visit Lynchburg’s official website, Lynchburgva.gov.