The state’s election schedule was upended by Democrats’ proposed redistricting measure, which pushed back primaries from mid-June to Aug. 4, but the new map ultimately failed to take effect.When the state Supreme Court struck down Virginia’s redistricting referendum, dozens of candidates who had campaigned in the gerrymandered districts had to course correct, as the state returned to its initial congressional map for the 2026 election cycle.
As a state with an off-year major state election cycle, Virginia’s 2026 elections have been heavily dominated by congressional races. One of Virginia’s U.S. Senate seats is also on the ballot, with three Republicans vying to unseat incumbent Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA).Here’s which primary races to pay the most attention to on Tuesday.
Democratic primaries to determine challengers to GOP’s Wittman and Kiggans
Virginia’s 1st and 2nd congressional districts are holding multi-candidate Democratic primaries on Tuesday, as several Democrats seek to challenge incumbent Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA). Wittman and Kiggans are each endorsed by President Donald Trump.DESPITE VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING FIASCO, DEMS EYE PAIR OF GOP-HELD HOUSE SEATSIn the 1st District, situated near the center of the state, surrounding Richmond, seven Democrats are competing to advance to the general election against nine-term incumbent Wittman.Shannon Taylor, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Henrico County, boasts the cash advantage and establishment backing in the race. Taylor has notched endorsements from Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and each of the Democratic members of Virginia’s sitting U.S. Senate and House delegations. She is running on an anti-corruption, political reform agenda.Taylor recently lost the 2025 Democratic Attorney General primary to current state Attorney General Jay Jones by 2.2 percentage points.But each of Taylor’s Democratic opponents has taken issue with the state Democratic Party’s claim that it remains neutral in the primary. Reporting from the Virginia Mercury suggests the party is running into conflict-of-interest issues, which the party denies.Also in the field with Taylor are Army veteran Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs, public-interest attorney Salaam Bhatti, Navy veteran Jason Knapp, political organizer Tim Cywinski, healthcare lawyer Ericka Kopp, and veteran business lawyer Mel Tull. All are running on the more anti-establishment wave of the Democratic Party.In Virginia’s 2nd District, a general election match-up between Kiggans and former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA), who used to hold Kiggans’s seat before the decade-turn redistricting, is likely to tee up again if Luria can pull out a primary win.Luria boasts significant name recognition in southeastern Virginia from her time in the lower chamber, plus a massive cash advantage over her Democratic primary opponents. Former USAID worker Patrick Mosolf, physician Nila Devanath, and conservationist Bill Fleming are running against Luria to take on Kiggans in November.Kiggan’s district is deemed a toss-up by Cook Political Report, while Wittman’s leans Republican.TRUMP ENDORSEMENT TRACKER: HERE’S WHO THE PRESIDENT HAS PICKED IN GOP MIDTERM ELECTION PRIMARIESGOP primary to determine challenger to Vindman
