RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Latest on Virginia’s primary elections (all times local):
9:35 p.m.
Challenger Steve Descano has scored an upset victory over incumbent Ray Morrogh in the Democratic primary for commonwealth’s attorney in the state’s largest jurisdiction.
Descano beat Morrogh in Tuesday’s primary in Fairfax County, knocking off an incumbent who had served as a prosecutor there for more than 35 years. It was one of several northern Virginia races where veteran prosecutors faced tough challenges or opted not to seek reelection.
Descano sought to capitalize on a wave of support for criminal-justice reform. He received a huge boost from a political action committee funded by liberal billionaire George Soros that donated nearly $400,000 to his campaign.
He also received support from former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who was upset that Morrogh opposed his effort to automatically restore the voting rights of convicted felons.
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9:30 p.m.
The top Democrat in the Virginia Senate has fended off two challengers in a closely watched primary contest.
Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw defeated Yasmine Taeb and Karen Torrent on Tuesday. It was the first primary challenge Saslaw has faced for the northern Virginia district in four decades.
The race drew widespread attention because it was - in part- a contest over the Democratic Party’s values and direction. Saslaw is close with business interests and chummy with Republicans. Taeb repeatedly criticized him during the campaign as not being progressive enough. Saslaw said Taeb’s views were too radical for most voters.
Virginia is the only state where Democrats have a realistic chance of flipping control of a state legislature this year.
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8:45 p.m.
A democratic socialist in Virginia has defeated a more moderate challenger to hold on to the Democratic Party’s nomination for a legislative seat.
Incumbent Del. Lee Carter defeated challenger Mark Wolfe in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for House District 50.
Carter is an outspoken member of the Democratic Socialists of America whose 2017 victory was among the most surprising Democratic wins that year. He often clashes with his own party’s leaders.
Wolfe is a Manassas city councilmember who campaigned on being a pragmatic leader.
Republicans are eyeing the district as a possible pickup in the general election as they try to hold on to their slim majority.
Virginia is the only state where Democrats have a realistic chance of flipping control of a state legislature this year.
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8:30 p.m.
Challenger Parisa Dehghani-Tafti has knocked off incumbent Theo Stamos in the Democratic primary for commonwealth’s attorney in Arlington County.
Dehghani-Tafti won Tuesday after campaigning on criminal justice reform and the rights of those accused.
She was endorsed by former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and The Washington Post and received more than $580,000 from a political action committee funded by liberal billionaire George Soros.
Stamos served as top prosecutor in Arlington County and Falls Church City since 2012 after serving as an assistant and chief deputy prosecutor there for more than two decades. She said the criticisms of her record were unfair and called herself a leader in adopting criminal-justice reforms.
It was one of several northern Virginia races where veteran prosecutors faced tough challenges or opted not to seek re-election.
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8:15 p.m.
A Virginia Republican lawmaker who voted to expand Medicaid lost his seat to a primary challenger.
Del. Bob Thomas lost to Paul Milde Tuesday in a GOP primary.
Thomas is one of three Republican lawmakers who voted for Medicaid expansion last year and faced a nomination battle this year. Milde blasted Thomas for that vote.
Thomas was heavily funded by top GOP House lawmakers.
The Fredericksburg-area seat is expected to be heavily contested during the November election and could help determine if Republicans can maintain their slim majority in the House of Delegates.
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8 p.m.
A former Virginia lawmaker who used to spend his days at the state Capitol and his nights in jail after being accused of having sex with his teenage secretary has won a contested primary in his bid for a state Senate seat.
Joe Morrissey defeated Sen. Rosalyn Dance in the Democratic primary for a Richmond-area state Senate race.
Morrissey was jailed four years ago after a sex scandal involving a teenager, who Morrissey later married. The couple now has three children.
He denied wrongdoing but entered an Alford plea to a misdemeanor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence for a conviction.
Morrissey lost a 2016 campaign to be Richmond’s mayor and had his law license revoked last year.
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7:45 p.m.
A longtime Virginia Republican lawmaker who was an outspoken supporter of expanding Medicaid has held off a primary challenger.
Sen. Emmett Hanger defeated Tina Freitas in a Republican primary Tuesday. Hanger represents a region in the western part of the state.
He was key in getting Medicaid expansion passed in Virginia last year, even defeating his own party’s plan to derail the effort during one committee hearing.
The state’s hospitals spent heavily to help Hanger win the GOP nomination.
Hanger was one of three Republican lawmakers who voted for Medicaid expansion last year and faced a nomination battle this year.
Several Republicans voted for Medicaid expansion in 2018 after years of near unanimous opposition.
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7 p.m.
Polls have closed in Virginia’s highly charged legislative primary elections.
Local officials are counting votes, and results from Tuesday’s vote should start coming in soon after polls closed at 7 p.m.
Tuesday’s contests have seen plenty of drama as moderates in both parties take fire from their parties’ outer flanks.
An unusually high number of Democratic incumbents are being challenged by liberal newcomers who aren’t shy about attacking their opponents as ethically compromised. On the GOP side, lingering resentment over last year’s vote to expand Medicaid is helping fuel unusually divisive nomination fights.
All 140 legislative seats are up for grabs this year. Virginia is the only state whose legislature has a reasonable chance of flipping partisan control. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers.
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11:30 a.m.
Some Virginia primary voters say they forgive the state’s governor for a blackface scandal, and don’t think he will be a drag on Democrats in statehouse elections.
Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam isn’t on Tuesday’s ballot for legislative primaries. But a racist yearbook photo that surfaced in February and almost forced Northam from office is on voters’ minds as they consider contests for all 140 seats in the legislature.
Gail Parker-Coefield is an African American voter in Virginia Beach. She says she has forgiven Northam for the scandal and believes it’s now a non-issue.
Melvin Washington cast a ballot in a Richmond-area Democratic primary. He said the scandal might affect Democrats in a small way come November, but he doesn’t think it will make a big difference.
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1:15 a.m.
Virginia’s highly charged legislative primary elections are being closely watched as a possible political barometer for the coming presidential election year.
Tuesday’s statewide primary contests feature plenty of drama as moderates in both parties take fire from their parties’ outer flanks. The stakes are high: All 140 legislative seats are up for grabs this year and Virginia is the only state whose legislature has a reasonable chance of flipping partisan control.
Republicans currently have narrow majorities in both the House and Senate.
Several Democratic incumbents are being challenged by liberal newcomers. On the GOP side, lingering resentment over last year’s vote to expand Medicaid is helping fuel unusually divisive primary contests.
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