Democrats field a full slate, incumbents face intraparty heat, and GOP contests preview key November matchups.

by Virginia Mercury

With early voting already underway and primary day set for Tuesday, Virginia’s House of Delegates races are shaping up to be a revealing test of party identity, grassroots energy, and electoral ambition. 

For the first time in many years, Democrats have fielded candidates in all 100 House districts — a feat that underscores just how determined the party is to hold the majority it won back two years ago, and how fired up its base has become heading into another high-stakes election year.

Many of the most compelling primaries are playing out in safely blue districts, where challengers are confronting Democratic incumbents from the left and prompting broader questions about the party’s ideological trajectory. 

Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said this year’s primary season offers “a chance to decide whether the party wants to aim for a consistently centrist message, or push in a more liberal direction.” 

While Virginia Democrats have traditionally leaned toward moderate candidates in statewide elections, Farnsworth said, there’s a growing appetite among some voters to advance a more progressive agenda.

The current moment, he adds, is reminiscent of 2017, when Donald Trump’s presidency helped spark a blue wave in Virginia. 

“You’re seeing the willingness of Democrats to run even in places where the party is not favored,” Farnsworth said. “And even when challengers are taking on incumbents in Democratic House seats, when you put those things together, you really see a high level of energy.” 

But that momentum may come at a cost, he added. “Moderates remain the single most threatened category of Virginia elected officials out there.”

Here’s a rundown of 10 races to watch when polls close Tuesday evening.

House District 1: Del. Patrick Hope vs. Sean Epstein vs. Arjoon Srikanth

Del. Patrick Hope, D–Arlington, is one of only two veteran Democratic delegates facing a primary challenge this year — the other being Del. Delores McQuinn, D–Richmond. But unlike McQuinn, who carries a single opponent, Hope confronts a two-way contest in Virginia’s 1st House District, with Sean Epstein, a community-minded first‑time candidate advocating for smarter spending and federal-worker support, and 27‑year‑old software engineer Arjoon Srikanth, who frames himself as a fresh, tech-centric alternative, seeking to unseat him. 

Hope, first elected in 2009, brings deep experience — and plenty of it. He says he personally knocks on about 4,000 doors a year to stay connected to Arlington voters. A longtime proponent of ranked-choice voting and a collaborator on local housing, transit, and infrastructure issues, he also garnered support from a developer backing a Tysons casino, alongside two other Arlington delegates.

Epstein, who formally launched his campaign in early April, criticized the “toxic” tone of politics, calling for “a fresh set of ideas.” Meanwhile, Srikanth contends that the party needs to meet the moment of “a new Trump era” with more clarity and vigor. “Younger people are moving away from the Democratic Party,” he told a voter forum last month, arguing that leadership has grown “stagnant.” 

Because no Republican has declared in this safely Democratic district, Tuesday’s primary is likely to determine the next delegate. With early voting underway, Arlington’s Democratic base faces a choice between seasoned leadership and new voices for a changing electorate.

House District 21: Gregory Gorham vs. Xanthe Larsen vs. Sahar Smith

Del. Josh Thomas, D-Prince William, is among a slate of vulnerable Democrats this year. He’s on the receiving end of attack ads from Republican groups but is getting a helping hand from national and state Democratic funding sources to support him. 

Vying to take him on and hoping to oust him come November are three Republicans that first must face off in Tuesday’s primaries: Gregory Gorham, Xanthe Larsen, and Sahar Smith. 

Smith is an Egyptian-born immigrant who served in the U.S. military and became a citizen in the 1970s. She has called herself “pro-life,” making herself a reliable vote for Republicans wishing to quash the in-progress reproductive rights constitutional amendment. 

She and Gorham have expressed in local candidate forums that they’d like to see stronger data center reform — a key local issue in Northern Virginia where many centers have proliferated in recent years. Thomas had a bill this session to increase transparency for centers, but it was vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Gorham argues the bill was too soft, and would like to tax data centers more rigorously. 

Attorney Xanthe Larsen appears to have not been present at a handful of candidate forums and does not appear to have a campaign website. 

House District 37: Del. Terry Austin vs. Austen Schwend

In a rare GOP primary challenge to a sitting House member, Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt, is the only Republican incumbent this year facing a test from the right in House District 37. Despite representing the deep-red district since 2014 without a primary opponent, Austin now finds himself in a faceoff with political newcomer Austen Schwend, a farmer, engineer, and business owner who says frustration with government decisions drove him to run — literally while pushing pigs out of the way on a snowy day.

“I feel like I’m having to do all of this because politicians keep making bad decisions,” Schwend told Cardinal News, describing the moment he decided to enter politics.

Schwend’s campaign centers on lowering taxes, opposing green energy initiatives, and increasing transparency in education spending. He has also criticized Austin’s past support for a proposed wind farm in Botetourt and highlighted Dominion Energy’s role as the delegate’s top donor. But Austin insists, “The fact that Dominion has given me money has nothing to do with my support of any project.”

Austin, a veteran lawmaker and senior Republican on the House Transportation Committee, has emphasized his bipartisan work on infrastructure and regional economic development. He acknowledged the challenge with pragmatism: “The longer you serve, the more people are going to think that maybe you’re not doing what they want… and that’s OK too.”

Political analyst Stephen Farnsworth calls the race “a key one to watch,” adding, “To what extent is the Republican Party going to have any daylight between itself and President Trump?”

House District 46: Mitchell Cornett vs. Adam Tolbert

An open seat is up for grabs to represent Smyth County in southwest Virginia after Republican Jed Arnold stated he would not seek reelection.

Mitchell Cornett, a member of the Grayson County Board of Supervisors, and Adam Tolbert, a higher education official, are vying for the nomination to run in November.

“Our district needs a representative who truly lives and breathes the values that make Southwest Virginia special,” Cornett told The Patriot. “As your delegate, I will stand firmly for our constitutional rights, protect the sanctity of life, and ensure our region’s voice is heard clearly in the General Assembly.”

Tolbert has received a significant number of endorsements from current seatholders, including House Minority Leader Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, and Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Washington County. If elected, Tolbert said his office will focus on legislation to lower energy costs, and support educational and economic opportunities.  

The Republican nominee will face Democrat Jamie Ralston Hendry in a strongly conservative district that encompasses the counties of Grayson, Smyth and Wythe, and part of Pulaski County. 

House District 62: Karen Hamilton vs. Clay Jackson

Voters will elect a new delegate from Culpeper County in the next few months, but not until a Republican nominee is selected next week.

Karen Hamilton, a business owner, and Clay Jackson, a beef farmer and former county supervisor, are seeking the nomination to replace Republican Del. Nick Freitas. Hamilton received the endorsement of the outgoing delegate who served five terms in Richmond.

“Delegate Nick Freitas has battled in Richmond for 10 years to protect our individual liberties and boldly advocate for conservative values,” said Hamilton to the Star Exponent. “Going forward, the people of the 62nd District deserve to have strong representation and a voice for fiscal responsibility, limited government, and moral clarity in the commonwealth.

Jackson told the media outlet that he’s running because voters in the district are being “left behind.” If elected, he will continue to take pride in representing his constituency, just as he did when he served as chair of the Madison County Board of Supervisors. 

Democrat Sara Ratcliffe, a lifelong caretaker, will face the nominee in the strong conservative House District 62 race. Ratcliffe is running for a second time. She lost to Freitas in 2023 by more than 20 percentage points, despite being the top fundraiser. 

District 62 encompasses the counties of Greene and Madison, and parts of Culpeper and Orange counties.

House District 70: Hailey Louise Shupe-Dollar vs. Cynthia Scaturico

The district caught national attention in 2017 when Democratic incumbent Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, lost to then-delegate David Yancey following a tie in which his name ended up drawn from a bowl to break it. She later won one election in 2019 and has represented the district ever since. In an election year where around 80 women are running between both parties, she will face one of two Republican women challengers come November. 

Military veteran Hailey Louise Shupe-Dollar wants to decrease or eliminate personal property taxes. While her campaign website lacks an issues page, there is a form to fill out asking would-be constituents to tell her what matters most to them. 

Dollar’s opponent in the primary, Cynthia Scaturico, is a homemaker who has expressed support for GOP efforts to give parents more authority in public education policies and curriculum. She would also like to see more investment in Hampton Roads infrastructure and lower taxes on small businesses. 

House District 72: Randolph Critzer Jr. vs. Bilal Raychouni 

Two Democratic hopefuls are seeking to unseat longtime Republican Del. Lee Ware, R-Powhatan, in a district that has elected Ware to eight consecutive terms.

Randolph Critzer Jr., a Richmond attorney, and educator Bilal Raychouni are seeking the Democratic nomination. In 2023, Raychouni made it to the General Election, but lost to Ware by 36 percentage points.

Raychouni is running on a platform to support rural areas with health care and transportation services.

Critzer wants to ensure recycling services are available in his district after the county made changes to residential curbside recycling in Chesterfield. If elected, he said he would propose a bill requiring all localities that have provided recycling services within the past 10 years to restore the services to all citizens.

District 72 includes the counties of Amelia, Nottoway and Powathan, and part of Chesterfield County. 

House District 73: Leslie Mehta vs. Justin Woodford

Though the Chesterfield County-anchored House District 73 has a Republican lean, Democrats are hoping to edge out incumbent Del. Mark Earley, R-Chesterfield, later this year. But first, two Democrats are facing off in Tuesday’s primary to see who will be up to bat later this year. 

Former 1st Congressional District candidate Leslie Mehta announced her bid back in February and has secured the endorsement of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger. A month later, finance consultant Justin Woodford stepped into the race. 

Both candidates support ways to help make health care more accessible and affordable as well as housing —- with Woodford noting support for a failed bipartisan effort this year to curb hedge funds’ abilities to purchase investment homes, a key blockade for first-time homebuyers. 

Mehta also cites her experience as an appointee of Youngkin’s to the state’s rare disease council. Having lost her oldest daughter to Rhett Syndrome, she has provided insights to congressional legislation as well as served as the interim CEO of the International Rhett Syndrome Foundation. 

Both candidates support Virginia’s in-progress constitutional amendments to enshrine reproductive rights, voting rights and remove a defunct ban on same-sex marriage. While two of the amendments have advanced with bipartisan support, the reproductive rights measure has only advanced because of the legislature’s current Democratic majority. Earley was an outspoken critic of the amendment earlier this year. 

Advancing or defeating the amendment may be a key factor in this year’s House elections, for which the future of it hinges on. 

While the district could continue to favor Earley, it did favor Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris last year by 0.6% of a point — enough to signal hope for his challengers. 

House District 75: Stephen Miller‑Pitts vs. Lindsey Dougherty vs. Dustin Wade.

Covering the city of Hopewell and parts of Chesterfield and Prince George counties, the 75th House District has become a focal point of Democratic interest in Tuesday’s primary. Three candidates are vying for the party’s nomination to challenge Republican Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield, this November: returning hopeful Stephen Miller‑Pitts, community advocate Lindsey Dougherty, and nurse Dustin Wade.

Miller‑Pitts, a combat veteran, educator, service‑disabled small‑business owner, and activist, secured nearly 45% of the vote in 2023, falling just 5 points short of Coyner. He told The Mercury earlier this year that his campaign “built a lot of great momentum and community engagement” and he’s eager to “build upon what we did two years ago when nobody really was looking at this seat.” 

The three‑way Democratic contest itself signals growing energy as Virginia voters respond to national economic pressures. Locally, that enthusiasm is being fueled by concerns over recent mass layoffs and shifting regional dynamics that saw Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., carry the district last year.

With the filing deadline long passed, Democrats have locked in a primary that reflects their newfound vigor — a district now seen as competitive, energized by robust candidate recruitment and fast‑changing political tides. 

House District 97: Tim Anderson vs. Christina Miriam Felder 

A current House incumbent could face a former member contingent upon the results of the Republican primary between educator Christina Miriam Felder and Tim Anderson, who served in the body from 2022 to 2023, when he resigned to mount an unsuccessful Senate bid.

The district encompasses the city of Virginia Beach.

Regarding his renewed interest in running for office, Anderson said Democrats cannot be allowed to control the House of Delegates because they are catering to “far-left” progressive policies, including passing legislation that provides violent offenders “easier access” to bail. He said the result left a woman dead when the husband was released, NBC4 Washington reported in 2024.

Felder told WAVY she is running to address the “massive” changes to public safety and education, made by Democrats, that have left her district dramatically different and made it feel like “hell” in the community.

“This is not the Virginia Beach I knew and grew up in,” Felder said. “We as citizens pay our taxes and want things to get done correctly. My fellow community members couldn’t believe how much changes the Democrats rapidly had done. So, now I am here and this will end now.” 

The winner will face Del. Michael Feggans, Virginia Beach, in November for the district seat. 

(Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.)