Virginia Voter Guide: Here's what's on the ballot for the primary on Tuesday

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia’s primary is on Tuesday. Voters will make their voices heard in many state and local races. Poll hours are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

All 100 seats in the House of Delegates, and the 40 seats in the state Senate, will be up for grabs in November 2023.

This is the first primary under newly drawn political district maps in the commonwealth—which means a bunch of new faces and possible turnover in the General Assembly.

Also, at stake is control of the legislature. Democrats have a 22-18 majority in the state Senate. Meanwhile the Republican party controls the House of Delegates with a 52-48 majority.

There are also contested local races in Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford counties. At play in many of these contests are voter concerns about public safety, data centers and housing density.

Voters in Arlington County will fill out their ballots differently for the Board race. Ranked choice voting will be used for the first time, in this race only. In ranked choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Arlington voters will be choosing democratic candidates for two seats on the Board. There are six candidates on the ballot. To win the primary election, a candidate will need more than 33.3% of the vote. Here’s more information on ranked choice voting: https://vote.arlingtonva.gov/Ranked-Choice-Voting

Helpful Links

Here's a list of candidates on northern Virginia ballots and brief bio information, along with candidate websites:

Democratic Primary

House of Delegates: District 2

Arlington County
Democratic

Adele Y. McClure (D)
She is the Executive Director of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. She has also worked as the Special Projects Manager and Associate Director of Eviction Prevention for the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. According to her website bio, she grew up in Northern Virginia, where she says she experienced poverty and homelessness. She was also the first in her family to attend college.
Website: https://adeleforva.com/

Kevin S. Saucedo-Broach (D)
He's a former Chief of Staff for Del. Alfonso Lopez. He held this position until 2022. He is also the treasurer for the Democratic Latino Caucus of Virginia. According to his website bio, he is a 4th generation Arlingtonian. He has also served as a former congressional aide and field organizer for the 2017 Ralph Northam gubernatorial campaign. He says, if elected, he would be the first openly LGBTQ+ Virginian of color to be in the Virginia General Assembly.
Website: https://www.kevinsaucedo.com/

House of Delegates: District 7

Fairfax County
Democratic

This is an open seat that represents the Reston area of Fairfax County.
Ken Plum, who has held this seat for 44 years, is retiring.

Paul D. Berry (D)
He has been a Fairfax County Public Schools teacher since 2003. He has been a special education, English and math teacher. He also works in data science. He is a member of the Medical Reserve Corps. In 2018 Gov. Ralph Northam appointed him to the Virginia Latino Advisory Board.
Website: https://electberry.com/

Karen A. Keys-Gamarra (D)
She is an At-Large member of the Fairfax County School Board. This is an office she has held since 2017. She is Chair of the Comprehensive Planning Development Committee. She is a former Planning Commissioner. She is also an attorney who specializes in family law. She has also practiced bankruptcy, employment and labor law.
Website: https://www.karenkeysgamarra.com/

Shyamali Roy Hauth (D)
She is a former educator and an Air Force veteran. She has also worked as a community activist in the areas of pay and wage equity, workers' rights, transgender rights and gun control. She serves on the board of the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions and the Reston Chorale.
Website: https://hauthforva.com/

Mary K. "Red" Barthelson (D)
She is a systems engineer and is currently a Principal Systems Engineer at SAIC, where according to her campaign website, she is responsible for designing the architecture of space systems. She also served as the state and local Policy Director of Reston Strong.
Website: https://www.marybarthelson.com/

House of Delegates: District 15

Fairfax County
Democratic

Laura Jane H. Cohen (D)
She is a member of the Fairfax County School Board, representing Springfield. She has held this office since 2019. She has served as the Director of Outreach for a Parkinson's non-profit. She has also taught preschool and been a substitute teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools.
Website: https://www.laurajanecohen.com/M. Henri Thompson (D)
He holds a doctorate in education, and is a public-school teacher, small business owner, and non-profit executive. According to his campaign website he also worked in the U.S. House of Representatives and for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in New York.
Website: https://www.henrithompson.com/Eric L. Schmidt (D)
He is the CEO and co-founder of a software company. He has started STEM centers in the county that teach children how to code. He grew up in Burke. He has worked in China. According to his campaign website, while there, he started an organization for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Website: https://www.ericfordelegate.com/

House of Delegates: District 19

Fairfax County, Prince William County
Democratic

Rozia A. "J.R." Henson, Jr. (D)
He works in information technology and works as a Program Manager for the Department of Homeland Security. He is the vice president of the Prince William County Young Democrats. Born and raised in Woodbridge, he serves as Woodbridge district representative on the Prince William County Historical Commission.
Website: https://henson4va.com/

Makya R. Little (D)
She previously worked for the FBI and CIA. A domestic violence survivor, she tried to get legislation through the General Assembly for changes to Virginia's divorce laws, especially when domestic violence is involved. She is the daughter of Army veterans and graduated from the Fairfax County public school system. She currently lives in Woodbridge.
Website: https://www.makyalittle.com/

Natalie Louise Shorter (D)
She has worked in sales and finance management. According to her campaign website, she is completing her bachelor's degree in political science, and with her husband started a real estate business. She is the granddaughter of L. Louise Lucas--the Virginia Senate President pro tempore--who also represents District 18.
Website: https://www.natalieforvirginia.com/

House of Delegates: District 26

Kannan Srinivasan (D)
He has a background in finance. He is also Chair of the Virginia State Medicaid Board. He has served on the Loudoun Economic Development Advisory Commission and Loudoun Fiscal Impact Committee.
Website: https://kannanfordelegate.com/

Senate: District 27

Stafford County, Spotsylvania County, Fredericksburg City
Democratic

Benjamin "Ben" Litchfield (D)
He is a consumer financial services attorney. He served as Chairman of the Stafford County Democratic Committee and previously worked at the National Credit Union Administration and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Website: https://benlitchfieldva.com/

Joel L. Griffin (D)
He is a Marine veteran. He founded a company that supports veteran entrepreneurs. He is also Chairman of the Stafford Economic Development Authority and on the board of Germanna Community College. After the death of his daughter, he advocated for Virginia to pass Gwyneth's Law--mandating CPR training in Virginia schools.
Website: https://joelgriffinva.com

Senate: District 29

Stafford County, Prince William County
Democratic

Elizabeth R. Guzman (D)
She currently serves in the House of Delegates. She was first elected to this seat in 2017. She is a social worker and public administrator. She has also worked for Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairfax Office for Children's Head Start.
Website: https://www.elizabethguzmanforvirginia.com/

Jeremy S. McPike (D-incumbent)
He is the incumbent and has held this office since 2016. He is a volunteer firefighter and EMT with the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department, where he is an Assistant Chief. He also worked for the City of Alexandria for over 20 years, where he currently serves as the Director of General Services.
Website: https://mcpike4va.com/

Senate: District 31

Loudoun County, Fauquier County
Democratic

Russet W. Perry (D)
She is a former Loudoun County prosecutor and currently an attorney in private-practice. She also worked at the CIA.
Website: https://russetperry.com

Zachary J. Cummings (D)
He is a member of the Leesburg Town Council and a real estate agent.
Website: https://www.zachcummings.com/

Senate: District 32

Loudoun County
Democratic

The current state senator, John Bell, is retiring due to a cancer diagnosis.

Suhas Subramanyam (D)
He currently serves in the House of Delegates. He also worked on Capitol Hill as a health care and veterans policy aide. He is also an attorney.
Website: https://www.suhasforvirginia.com/

Ibraheem S. Samirah (D)
He is a dentist and former delegate who represented Fairfax and Loudoun counties. He was elected to the House of Delegates in 2019.
Website: https://www.samirahforstatesenate.com/

Senate: District 33

Prince William County, Fairfax County
Democratic

Hala Sophia Ayala (D)
She is a former state delegate. She served two terms starting in 2017. For more than 2 decades she worked in cybersecurity for the Department of Homeland Security. She also ran for Lieutenant Governor in 2021 but lost to republican Winsome Sears in the general election.
Website: https://halaforstatesenate.com/

Jennifer D. Carroll Foy (D)
She is a public defender and former Prince William County delegate. She was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2017. In 2021 she ran for governor of Virginia but lost to Terry McAuliffe in the democratic primary.
Website: https://jennifercarrollfoy.com/

Senate: District 35

Fairfax County
Democratic

Because of redistricting, Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw and State Senator Dave Marsden were drawn into the same district. Saslaw announced his retirement.

The new district includes Springfield, Annandale, George Mason and Lake Barcroft.

David W. Marsden (D-incumbent)
He has served in the state Senate since the 1980's. He served as Superintendent of the Fairfax County Detention Center and as Chief Deputy Director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice.
Website: https://marsdenforsenate.nationbuilder.com/

Heidi Drauschak (D)
She is an attorney and holds an MBA. She has worked for non-profits, one her campaign website says she founded "to fight government corruption, reform Virginia's campaign finance laws and give everyday people access to the legislative process."
Website: https://www.heidiforvirginia.com/

Senate: District 36

Fairfax County
Democratic

Stella G. Pekarsky (D)
She is a Fairfax County School Board member representing the Sully district. She was first elected to the school board in 2019. She served as Chair of the Board in 2021-2022. She is also a former public-school teacher.
Website: https://stellapekarsky.com/

George Lincoln Barker (D-incumbent)
He is the incumbent and has held this office for 16 years. He has worked in health systems planning. He has also served as Executive Director of the Greater Prince William County Health Center. He also served as Vice-Chair of the Tysons Task Force.
Website: https://senbarker.com/ 

Senate: District 37

Falls Church City, Fairfax City, Fairfax County
Democratic

J.C. "Chap" Petersen (D-incumbent)
He has served as a state senator for 16 years. He is an attorney. He and his wife started their own law firm. The firm specializes on small businesses. Prior to being a state senator, he served in the House of Delegates (2002-2006) and was a member of the Fairfax City Council (1998-2002).
Website: https://fairfaxsenator.com/

Saddam Azlan Salim (D)
He is a federal financial consultant and Vice President of the Fairfax Young Democrats, Vice Chair of the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee. He has also served as Co-Chair to the Providence District Democratic Committee.
Website: https://www.salimforsenate.com/about 

Senate: District 40

Arlington County
Democratic

James A. DeVita (D)
He is a trial attorney in private practice. He also worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and the DC Attorney General's Office.
Website: https://devitaforstatesenate.com/

Barbara A. Favola (D-incumbent)
She is seeking her 4th term in the state Senate. Because of redistricting, Barbara Favola was placed in the new 40th senate district. Before being in the General Assembly, she served 14 years on the Arlington County Board. She also worked for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Website: https://barbarafavola.org/

Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney

Democratic
Vote 1

Josh D. Katcher (D)
He is a former Arlington County deputy commonwealth's attorney. He is also a former president of the Arlington County Bar Association.
Website: https://www.joshforarlington.com/

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti (D-incumbent)
She is seeking a second term as commonwealth's attorney. She is a former public defender and law professor.
Website: https://www.parisaforjustice.com/

Arlington County Board

Democratic

Voters will fill out their ballots differently for the Board race. Ranked choice voting will be used for the first time, in this race only.  In ranked choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Arlington voters will be choosing democratic candidates for two seats on the Board. There are six candidates on the ballot. To win the primary election, a candidate will need more than 33.3% of the vote.

Natalie U. Roy (D)
She is a realtor who founded the Bicycling Realty Group. Previously she worked on environmental and progressive issues.
Website: https://natalieforarlington.com/

Maureen E. Coffey (D)
She is a policy analyst on the Early Childhood Policy team at the Center for American Progress-a progressive think tank.
Website: https://maureencoffey.com/

Jonathan Dromgoole (D)
He is a political strategist. He has served as President of the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia & was appointed member of the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board.
Website: https://www.jonathandromgoole.com/

Julius D. "JD" Spain, Sr. (D)
He is a diversity, equity, inclusion, and accountability consultant. He served 26 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is the former President of Arlington NAACP.
Website: https://www.jdforarlington.com/

G.O. "Tony" Weaver (D)
He owns a lighting design and installation business. He is a member of Arlington County's Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission.
Website: https://www.tony4arlington.com/

Susan R. Cunningham (D)
She is a consultant and the interim executive director of the non-profit, Arlington Thrive--which provides services to those in need.
Website: https://susanforarlington.com

Arlington County Sheriff

Democratic

Wanda R. Younger (D)
She began working for the Arlington Sheriff's Office in 1984. For 4 years she led the Training Office. For 2 years she was the Director of Pretrial Services.
Website: https://wandaforsheriff.com/

James A.M. Herring (D)
He is a corporal at the Arlington Police Department. He also worked for MPD in DC as an officer in the 7th district and was a field trainer.
Website: https://www.sheriffjamesherring.com/

Jose R. Quiroz, Jr. (D-incumbent)
In January he took over the force as the acting Sheriff. He is now seeking a full term. He's been with the Arlington Sheriff's office more than 20 years.
Website: https://joseforsheriff.us/

Fairfax County Chair, Board of Supervisors

Democratic

Lisa M. Downing (D)
She is retired from the CIA where she worked in analysis, operations, contracts and human resources.
Website: https://www.lisadowningforfairfax.com/

Jeffrey C. McKay (D-incumbent)
He is the incumbent and was elected chair in 2019. He first won election to the Board in 2007, representing the Lee District.
Website: https://www.mckayforchairman.com/

Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney

Democratic

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors-Dranesville District

Democratic

James N. "Jimmy" Bierman (D)
He is an Attorney Advisor at the Department of Homeland Security. He also worked on health care reform at Families USA and was an attorney in private practice. He has been a member of the Fairfax County Police Civilian Review Panel since 2019.
Website: https://www.biermanforsupervisor.com/

David R. Fiske (D)
He founded a consulting firm that supports defense-industry, finance, and aerospace customers. He has a background in physics and worked at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He is planning and zone committee member of the McLean Citizens Association.
Website: https://www.fiske2023.com/

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors-Mason District

Democratic

Penny Gross currently holds this office. She is not seeking re-election.

Jeremy G. Allen (D)
He works in constituent services and outreach for U.S. Congressman Don Beyer's office.
Website: https://jeremyforsupervisor.com/

Andres F. Jimenez (D)
He is the Executive Director of the environmental nonprofit Green 2.0. Previously he was Senior Director of Government Affairs at the Citizen's Climate Lobby.
Website: https://www.andresformason.com/

Steve S. Lee (D)
He is a business owner who has several restaurants and a coffee shop in the area. He has been the Mason District representative on the Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission.
Website: https://www.steveformason.com/

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors-Mount Vernon District

Democratic

Daniel G. "Dan" Storck (D-incumbent)
He was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2016. Previously he served on the Fairfax County School Board. He has owned several health care firms.
Website: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/mountvernon/about-supervisor-storck

Maritza Zermeno (D)
She is a member of Rep. Don Beyer's Local Advisory Cabinet and a founding member of the Fairfax Latino Caucus, and former chair of the Mount Vernon District Democratic Committee.
Website: https://mz4mv.com/

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors-Springfield District

Democratic

John J. Nowadly (D)
He has been a firefighter and EMT in the county. He is also a Black Hawk pilot for the National Guard out of Ft. Belvoir.
Website: https://johnforspringfield.com/

Alberto "Albert" Vega (D)
He is the co-founder of a local tech business. He is the chief technology officer for Building Momentum. He also spent time in Afghanistan working with the U.S. Army.
Website: https://www.albertvega.com/

Fairfax County Sheriff

Democratic

Stacey Ann Kincaid (D-incumbent)
She has been with the Sheriff's office for 35 years. She is the first woman to lead the office. She was first elected Sheriff in 2013.
Website: https://www.staceykincaid.com/news

Kelvin Garcia (D)
He served with MPD, in DC, for 11 years. He is now a law clerk with a firm providing immigration and criminal services.
Website: https://www.kelvinforfairfax.com/home

Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney

Democratic

Buta Biberaj (D-incumbent)
She is the incumbent and was first elected in 2019. She also served as a substitute judge for the Virginia general district courts for more than 11 years.
Website: https://biberajforloudoun.com/

Elizabeth J. Lancaster (D)
She's worked 15 years in the public defender's office. She is now in private practice working a lot in juvenile justice.
Website: https://www.lancaster4loudoun.com/

Prince William County Chairman, Board of Supervisors

Democratic

Ann B. Wheeler (D-incumbent)
She was first elected to this office in 2019 and is seeking a second term. She is a former energy consultant and served as a NOVEC board member (2005-2018).
Website: https://www.wheelerforpwc.com/about

Deshundra L. Jefferson (D)
She is a former Mississippi political reporter. She is also on the boards of the Virginia Poverty Law Center and the Nob Hill Forest Townhome Association.
Website: https://www.electdeshundra.com/

Prince William County Board of Supervisors-Neabsco District

Prince William County Board of Supervisors-Potomac District

Democratic

Andrea O. Bailey (D-incumbent)

She is seeking a second term. She was also a teacher for more than 20 years.
Website: https://www.voteandreabailey.com/

Kimberlee J. "Kim" Short (D)
She is a retired Lieutenant Colonel who served 25 years in the U.S. Army and has worked as a health officer.
Website: https://www.votekimforpwc.org/about

Republican Primary

House of Delegates: District 21

Prince William County
Republican

House of Delegates: District 65

Spotsylvania County, Stafford County, Fredericksburg City
Republican

Lee Peters, III (R)
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 12 years. Afterwards he entered law enforcement.
Website: https://petersforvirginia.com/

Michael G. Kasey (R)
His background is in accounting. He has worked for the Virginia Dept of Taxation and Collection and at General Electric Aerospace.
Website: https://kaseyfordelegate.com/

Senate: District 1

Warren County, Shenandoah County, Frederick County, Clarke County, Winchester City
Republican

Brandon H. Monk (R)
He is the Frederick County, Va. School Board Chairman.
Website: https://www.monkforva.com

Dave A. LaRock (R)
He is the 33rd District House of Delegates representative-an office he's held since 2014.
Website: https://www.votelarock.us/

James E. Bergida (R)
He is a professor of political science at Christendom College.
Website: https://jamesbergida.com/

S. John Massoud (R)
He is a former Strasburg Town Councilman and the current 6th Congressional District Chairman.
Website: https://massoudforsenate.com/

Blaine P. Dunn (R)
He is Vice Chair of the Frederick County, VA Board of Supervisors. He is also a financial advisor.
Website: https://www.blainedunn.com/

Bradley Pollack (R)
He is an attorney and retired U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Lieutenant Colonel & Shenandoah County Supervisor.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pollack4senate

Senate: District 27

Stafford County, Spotsylvania County, Fredericksburg City
Republican

Tara A. Durant (R)
She serves in the Virginia House of Delegates representing Stafford. She has also been an elementary school teacher and has served on the Board of the Fredericksburg Area Service League.
Website: https://taradurant.com/

Matt L. Strickland (R)
He served in the U.S. Army and is a Fredericksburg restaurant owner. He made headlines after state officials raided his restaurant because he continued to operate it during COVID restrictions.
Website: https://www.mattforva.com/

Senate: District 29

Stafford County, Prince William County
Republican

Nikki N. Rattray Baldwin (R)
She served in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. She also worked in ICUs at the Naval Hospital Guam. She left the Navy in 2007.
Website: https://www.nikkibaldwin.com/

Maria E. Martin (R)
She is an artist and writer. She has volunteered at the National Marine Corps Museum.
Website: https://mmartin4virginia.com/

Senate: District 30

Manassas City, Prince William County, Manassas Park City
Republican

Robert P. Ruffolo (R)
According to his campaign website, he is a U.S. Army veteran, serving almost 30 years. He worked as a security consultant.
Website: https://voteruffolo.com/

Bill C. Woolf, III (R)
He is the founder of Anti-Trafficking International-a nonprofit aimed at stopping human trafficking.
Website: https://www.woolf4va.com

Fauquier County Board of Supervisors-Lee District

Republican

Chris Butler, the current office holder, is not seeking re-election.

Fauquier County Board of Supervisors-Marshall District

Republican

Current office holder, Mary Leigh McDaniel, is not seeking re-election.

Frederick County Board of Supervisors--Back Creek District

Republican

Current office holder, Shawn Graber, is not seeking re-election.

Prince William County Chairman, Board of Supervisors

Republican

Kenneth A. Knarr (R)
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years. He is a program training manager at a Fredericksburg-based defense contractor.
Website: https://kennforchair.com/

Jeanine M. Lawson (R)
Since 2014 she has served as the Brentsville District Supervisor. An office she's held since 2014.
Website: https://jeaninelawson.com/

Stafford County Treasurer

Republican

Heather F. Mitchell (R)
She is the Chief Deputy Treasurer, Officer of Operations for the Stafford County Treasurer's Office.
Website: https://mitchell4treasurer.com/