Stories from this week
A look back at this week in Virginia politics.
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State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi declares victory in Democratic lieutenant governor primary
RICHMOND, Va. — State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor Tuesday night.
The Associated Press called the race Wednesday morning, and Levar Stoney conceded.
“Here in Virginia, we’re choosing something different,” Hashmi said to cheers from her supporters at her election night event in Richmond’s Fan District. “We’re choosing courage, we’re choosing progress and we’re choosing to lead.”
Hashmi — the only woman in the race — ran a campaign touting her legislative record on education, as well as abortion and health care access.
She became the first Muslim and South Asian woman elected to the Virginia Senate in 2019 when she defeated Republican Sen. Glen Sturtevant, with the slogan “Ghazala Hashmi is an American name.”
Jay Jones is the Democratic nominee for attorney general
Jay Jones won the Democratic primary and will appear on the November ballot against Republican incumbent Jason Miyares. The Associated Press made the final call shortly before 10 p.m.
“Virginia needs leaders who will put Virginia first,” Jones said in a written statement Tuesday night. “Who will stand up to the powerful corporate special interests. Who will stand up for the rule of law. Who will keep us safe. And that’s exactly what I will do as your Attorney General.”
Jones, a former state delegate from Norfolk and ex‑assistant attorney general of D.C., said his legislative and consumer‑protection experience made him best suited to challenge Republican incumbent Jason Miyares this November.
Clean Virginia tops Dominion in Democratic primaries
The clash between Clean Virginia and Dominion Energy was on full display in Tuesday night’s Democratic primaries — and Clean Virginia came out on top.
Dominion Energy, the state’s largest public utility, is one of Virginia’s most prolific political donors, contributing to candidates in both parties. Clean Virginia, a rival donor group, says its mission is to promote clean government and clean energy — and backs only candidates who refuse contributions from Dominion.
In 2025, Clean Virginia contributed $957,543 directly to statewide candidates, including $200,000 to gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger and $757,543 to attorney general nominee Jay Jones. The group also gave an additional $50,000 — split evenly between state Sens. Ghazala Hashmi and Aaron Rouse — to their Senate campaign accounts. Both candidates later transferred the money to their lieutenant governor campaign accounts.
Dominion Energy donated $1.27 million to Democratic candidates in the statewide primaries this year. That includes $775,000 to Shannon Taylor’s attorney general campaign, $418,000 to Levar Stoney’s lieutenant governor campaign, and $75,000 to Babur Lateef’s campaign for the same office.
Hashmi secured the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, while Jones won the nod for attorney general. With Spanberger unopposed for the gubernatorial nomination, Democrats head into the general election with a statewide ticket fully backed by Clean Virginia — and free of Dominion Energy’s money.
Virginia lieutenant governor’s race opens with sharp contrasts between Reid, Hashmi
Republican gubernatorial nominee John Reid and his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, painted each other as extreme and out of touch with mainstream Virginians on Wednesday.
Hashmi secured the nomination Tuesday night in a tightly contested Democratic primary, making Wednesday the first day of the general election campaign for the two to square off over policy differences.
“Hashmi who, not to be unkind about it, is pretty radical, pretty radical within her party,” Reid said during a 40-minute press gaggle outside Falling Creek Middle School in Chesterfield County.
Walkinshaw’s frontrunner status sparks debate over fairness in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District Primary
by Andrew Kerley
A crowded field of Democrats is vying for the party’s nomination in the special election for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. James Walkinshaw, Connolly’s chosen successor, appears to be the clear frontrunner, sparking concerns among rivals that the nomination process favors establishment candidates and also limits voter access.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the special election date for Sept. 9 after Connolly, 75, died in May due to esophageal cancer. It came weeks after Connolly announced he would not seek reelection and would step down as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.
The 11th District Democratic committee announced a firehouse primary scheduled for June 28, giving candidates less than a month to make their case to voters.
Walkinshaw holds a 41% lead in a poll released by a PAC supporting his campaign. He is endorsed by Connolly — who, Walkinshaw says, persuaded him to run shortly after stepping down — as well as neighboring Rep. Don Beyer, D-VA08, and former Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn.
A recap of last night's primary races
I talked to Randolph-Macon College political science professor and the host of VPM’s RVA’s Got Talent, Richard Meagher, about the primary results last night.
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi declares victory in Democratic lieutenant governor primary
This is the Virginia Scope daily newsletter covering Virginia politics from top to bottom. Please consider becoming the ultimate political insider by supporting non-partisan, independent news and becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter today.
Spanberger looks to unite party after primary day
HENRICO — On the eve of Virginia’s down-ballot primaries, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger announced a statewide bus tour and criticized her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, during a campaign rally Monday. The event, held just hours before Democrats select nominees for other statewide races, signaled her intent to steer the party clear of the internal conflicts currently dogging the Republican ticket.
Hundreds of supporters packed a hallway at the new J.R. Tucker High School, the school Spanberger attended growing up.
RGA to invest in Earle-Sears
The Republican Governors Association is investing $500,000 in Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears.
RGA also released a new digital ad attacking Earle-Sears’ Democratic opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger.
Reid and Earle-Sears speak
After Republican lieutenant governor nominee John Reid said Wednesday that he had not spoken with gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears in months, the two finally had a phone conversation.
Earle-Sears and Reid had not spoken directly since the controversy surrounding Reid began.
Her campaign noted Thursday that the two have since spoken, and Reid’s team confirmed they talked by phone Wednesday — after the press conference where he said they had not.
No details about the phone call were given.
Miyares’ office to defend Earle-Sears in case with Stanfield
Josh Stanfield’s ethics lawsuit against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is moving forward. Stanfield filed the lawsuit after Earle-Sears fail to disclose multiple trips paid for by outside organizations on her required financial disclosure forms.
Stanfield says that he has been informed that Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office will be representing Earle-Sears in the case.
Rouse and Taylor concede; Reid responds to Hashmi earning nomination
State Sen. Aaron Rouse has conceded from the lieutenant governor primary race and congratulated his Senate colleague, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, for winning. (The AP has still not officially called the race.)
“While the results aren’t what we hoped for, it’s clear our message resonated across Virginia,” Rouse said in a statement. “I’m grateful to every person who supported our campaign. Your energy and efforts are what make this Commonwealth great, and I’m proud to have you on my team. Congratulations to Senator Hashmi on her victory. I stand ready to work alongside the entire statewide ticket and our House of Delegates candidates to win in November, defend Virginians from Trump’s attacks, and deliver on real progress for every corner of the Commonwealth.”
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who was trailing by less than one percentage point at the time this newsletter was sent, has not conceded yet.
Republican lieutenant governor nominee John Reid responded to Hashmi winning the nomination.
“I want to congratulate Ghazala Hashmi on her victory and welcome her to the actual campaign trail,” Reid said. “I suspect soon she will hear what I have been hearing for months - that almost everything wrong in modern Virginia is a result of the political overreach, and social justice warrior radicalism of her party. And Senator Hashmi - sadly - has been one of the biggest cheerleaders for the high taxes, anti-business, trans radicalism, and government-knows-better-than-parents attitude that’s crushing our families and endangering our future.”
In the Democratic primary for attorney general, Henrico Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor conceded to Jay Jones after the AP called the race in his favor.
"While this isn’t the outcome we hoped for, I’m incredibly proud of the campaign we built and deeply grateful to my family, my team, and the supporters who believed in our vision for a Virginia where the Attorney General defends our rights and freedoms—not threatens them,” Taylor wrote. “To everyone who knocked doors, chipped in, and stood with us: thank you. You powered this campaign and the astonishing momentum behind it, and I will never forget it. Though we fell short tonight, make no mistake: the fight is far from over. We must unite behind our Democratic ticket: Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi, and Jay Jones, to defeat the extremism of Jason Miyares and Donald Trump. Virginia deserves leadership that protects our freedoms and keeps our families safe, not chaos and extremist attempts to erode legal protections and dismantle the rule of law. I remain committed to that fight. This campaign may be over, but our movement is not. Together, I know we’ll keep building a brighter future for every Virginia family."
What were the final vote totals, and where did they win
While technically mail-in ballots can still arrive with the Department of Elections today, here are the unofficial final vote totals from the Democratic primary races:
LG
Hashmi
27.39%
131,865
Stoney
26.64%
128,262
Rouse
26.34%
126,802
Lateef
8.40%
40,447
Bastani
5.69%
27,386
Salgado
5.54%
26,682
AG
Jones
51.01%
244,508
Taylor
48.99%
234,818
View more on the localities that each candidate won on VPAP.
In the lieutenant governor race, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi cleaned up in Richmond with 58% of the vote, Chesterfield County with 45%, Powhatan County with 52%, and Hanover County with 43%.
Former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney performed best in Southside Virginia, receiving more than 50% in several localities. He also won most localities in the Northern Neck.
State Sen. Aaron Rouse won his hometown of Virginia Beach with 68% of the vote, along with most of the surrounding localities. He did not carry any Central Virginia localities, and his only win in Northern Virginia came in Fredericksburg, where he edged out a one-point victory.
Babur Lateef won his home county of Prince William, but did not carry any other localities.
Bastani and Salgado did not win any localities.
In the attorney general race, Shannon Taylor won most of Northern Virginia, parts of Central Virginia, and the majority of Southwest Virginia. Former Del. Jay Jones won all of the Hampton Roads and Southside regions. Taylor carried her home county of Henrico with 60%, but Jones narrowly won neighboring Richmond. He also carried the southern half of Central Virginia.