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Babur Lateef wants to take his Prince William school successes statewide as lieutenant governor
Babur Lateef wants to take what he says are his successes as the chair of Prince William County’s school board and apply them to state politics. Lateef, an ophthalmologist, has also held board positions on the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors and UVA Health System. Now, Lateef is one of six candidates running to earn the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in the June 17 primary; the winner will face Republican John Reid for the office currently held by Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle Sears.
Norfolk commonwealth’s attorney race one of most expensive, divisive in city’s history
The race to be the city’s next top prosecutor has been a divisive and expensive one, with both candidates on the attack and raising record amounts of money. And with just two Democrats vying for the position, voters won’t have to wait until November to find out who gets the job. The race will be over next week, when the June 17 Democratic Primary is held. Competing for the seat are incumbent Ramin Fatehi, a longtime Norfolk prosecutor and former public defender who’s seeking a second term, and John Butler, a former federal prosecutor and Navy judge advocate general running for elected office for the first time.
Virginia appeals court rejects Second Amendment challenge in Richmond machine gun case
The Virginia Court of Appeals has rejected a Richmond man’s challenge to the constitutionality of a state law regulating machine guns. “The Second Amendment,” wrote the court in its June 10 opinion, “does not protect the right to possess dangerous and unusual weapons like machine guns.” The case, which came out of Richmond Circuit Court, stemmed from the July 2023 arrest of Rasheed Fleming on a charge of unlawfully possessing a machine gun for an offensive or aggressive purpose.
Yancey: Spanberger has almost 5 times as much campaign cash as Earle-Sears
Virginia Democrats enter the summer with a towering cash advantage over Republicans in many key races. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for governor, has almost five times as much cash on hand as her Republican opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears. Two of the Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor have four times as much money as Republican nominee John Reid; two others have more than twice as much, although it’s unclear how much money any of those Democrats will still have once next week’s June 17 primary is over.
Second Democrat seeks to challenge Wittman
A second Democrat, Lisa Vedernikova Khanna, president of the Metro Richmond Area Young Democrats, says she hopes to challenge Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, in 2026. Earlier this month, Amanda L. Pohl, clerk of the Chesterfield County Circuit Court, filed her statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission, a first step toward raising funds for a federal election campaign.
Trump wants Confederates’ names back on Army bases, including 3 in Central Virginia
President Donald Trump wants to return the names of Confederates to several U.S. Army bases, including three in Central Virginia. On Tuesday, June 10, Trump was set to speak at Fort Bragg in North Carolina in honor of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. During his speech, he spoke on a variety of current events, including the ongoing protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles, California. Trump also announced his intent to restore the names of Confederate leaders to several military bases. In recent years, these bases were renamed after other military figures.
David Hogg defies DNC leadership by wading into another primary for open seat
Democratic National Committee vice chair David Hogg, the Gen Z activist at the center of a major intraparty dispute, is wading into another contested primary with an endorsement in the race to succeed the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia), a contest that reflects broader generational and ideological tensions Hogg has stoked. Hogg’s political group, Leaders We Deserve, is backing 37-year-old state Del. Irene Shin, who is part of a crowded Democratic field vying later this month to fill Connolly’s seat in Northern Virginia after his death last month. One of Shin’s opponents is Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw, a 42-year-old former chief of staff to Connolly whom the congressman endorsed to succeed him before he died at age 75.
Big money is flowing into Virginia’s primary contests
All those streaming ads you’ve been seeing for political candidates cost money, and broadcasting statewide in Virginia is expensive. The lieutenant governor might be the highest post on the ticket in next week’s primary, but the race for the Democratic nomination for attorney general is attracting top dollar campaign cash. The latest campaign finance disclosures show former Delegate Jay Jones and Henrico County prosecutor Shannon Taylor have both raised more than two million dollars. J. Miles Coleman at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics says that’s because rival interest groups are throwing money at this Democratic primary.
GOP candidates square off in primary for House District 97 in Virginia Beach
Virginia's 97th House District is one of the seats up for grabs in the upcoming election, as two Republicans are vying for the chance to unseat a Democratic incumbent. The House district covers a large portion of Virginia Beach. The Virginia primary is on June 17. Republicans Tim Anderson and Christina Felder are running against each other in the primary for the opportunity to challenge Del. Michael Feggans.
Jay Jones and Shannon Taylor face off for Virginia Attorney General Democratic nomination
Former delegate and attorney Jay Jones of Norfolk and Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor are locked in a spirited Democratic primary contest, both setting their sights on unseating incumbent Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in November. While their immediate focus is on the June 17 primary election, both campaigns are taking a strong stance against President Donald Trump's policies and Miyares' refusal to challenge them.