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IS VOTING IN A PRIMARY REALLY IMPORTANT?
The short answer is a resounding YES!
- A primary gives registered voters the opportunity to decide who the candidates will be. Virginia has open primaries, meaning that a voter can vote in the primary of either political party regardless of whether he is a member of that party or is an independent, but he will receive either a Democratic ballot or a Republican ballot, not both.
- Voting in a primary is especially important if there is division within a party. If all candidates seem to have the same position on issues, do they have the needed preparation and experience, personal qualities and skills, integrity, etc.? To have the best leaders we must first have the best candidates from each party.
- Even if your preferred candidate doesn’t win but gets a lot of votes, he/she can still have a lot of influence. And it will encourage that person to run for office in the future.
- Perhaps most important, voting in any election is a privilege, a right, and a duty. Voting is the most effective way that all citizens with the most basic qualifications can make their wishes known. The most destitute citizen’s vote counts just as much as the richest citizen’s vote.
WHO ARE THESE PRIMARY CANDIDATES?
(Republicans have just one nominee for each statewide office. Therefore, only Democrats running for a statewide office are on the primary ballot. There is only one Republican and one Democratic candidate for Governor, so there will be no primary candidates for that office, and there is only one Republican running for Attorney General.)
For Lieutenant Governor
Alex Bastani – Grew up in Northern Virginia and attended Virginia’s public schools, 33-year member of the Virginia State Bar, spent 34 years in federal service, coached freshmen boys’ crew at Yorktown High in Arlington. “My life’s mission has always been fighting for working people. As a union president and labor attorney, I represented employees in arbitration…and ran a nonprofit with a half-million-dollar annual budget.”
https://progressivevirginiansforalexbastani.com/
Ghazala Hashmi – Emigrated from India with family when 4 years old, grew up in small town in Georgia when public schools were being desegregated, received multiple full scholarships and fellowships and earned a BA with honors from Georgia Southern U. and a PhD in American Lit. from Emory U., spent 30 years as a professor teaching first at U. of Richmond and then at Reynolds Community College, has served 6 years in Virginia Senate. Legislative priorities include public education (served as chair of Senate Ed. Committee), voting rights and preservation of democracy, reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention, the environment, housing, and affordable healthcare access.
https://www.wavy.com/news/politics/candidates
Babur Lateef – Originally from Ohio, son of Pakistani immigrants, has been an ophthalmologist 20 years, 7-year member of Loudon Co. School Board and current chair. Priorities are education, healthcare, housing, and public safety.
https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/
Aaron Rouse – From Virginia Beach, 2007 graduate of VA Tech, played for Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Arizona Cardinals, served on Virginia Beach City Council, has served 2 terms in Virginia Senate. Priorities are affordable housing, tax relief for seniors and families, reducing healthcare costs, and investing in education.
www.rouseforvirginia.com
Victor Salgado – From New Jersey born to parents who emigrated from Lima, Peru, lives in Arlington, earned BS in Economics from George Washington U. and Juris Doctor from U. of Wisconsin Law School, served as Senior Litigation Counsel in U.S. Dept. of Public Integrity Section, which oversees investigation and prosecution of all federal crimes affecting government integrity-including bribery of public officials, election crimes, and other related offenses. Priorities are campaign finance reform, public education, reproductive freedom, a just immigration system, the economy, labor, environment and energy, housing, gun violence prevention, and strengthening democracy.
www.victorforvirginia.com
Levar Stoney – Born in Long Island, N.Y. attended public school in York Co. Virginia, earned a BS in Public Administration and Political Science at JMU, served in Gov. Warner’s office and as Gov. McAuliffe’s Secretary of the Commonwealth, completing his second term as mayor of Richmond where priorities have been investing in children and families, investing in affordable housing, and advocating for economic growth. Will focus on expanding opportunity, defending federal workers, strengthening schools.
www.levarstoney.com www.rva.gov/archive/stoney/about
For Attorney General
Jay Jones – From Norfolk, earned bachelor’s degrees in history and government from William and Mary, earned a law degree from UVA, served as Assistant Attorney General in the office of Attorney General for Washington, D.C., served 2 terms in the Virginia House of Delegates, will prioritize lowering costs, holding corporate rulebreakers accountable, fostering growth and innovation, keeping Virginians safe and ensuring a fair justice system for all, protecting Virginians’ civil and constitutional rights, and ensuring the rights of women to make their own healthcare decisions.
www.jayjones.com
Shannon Taylor – From Charlottesville, earned a bachelor’s degree from UVA and law degree from U. of Richmond Law School, and served as prosecutor in the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office in Richmond, 3 years of private practice, elected to 3 terms as Commonwealth’s Attorney in Henrico Co., priorities are keeping Virginians safe and preventing gun violence, protecting the rights of women to make their own healthcare decisions, lowering costs for Virginians and protecting them from scams, growing Virginia’s economy and protecting the middle class, advocating for policies that remove systemic racism and discrimination from the criminal justice system and updating and strengthening laws pertaining to hate crimes and stalking, protecting due process for every individual.
https://shannontaylorva.com/ https://www.vpm.org/elections/
Please click on the links for details about these candidates, even if you have already voted.
REMEMBER: THE LAST CHANCE TO VOTE IN THIS PRIMARY IS TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2025
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