HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Primary elections end on Tuesday in Virginia and one of the most-watched internal-party match-ups played out in Eastern Henrico on the final full day of campaigning ahead of primary Election Day.
After redistricting, a large portion of eastern Henrico is now included in Senate District 13.
Democrats in that district are choosing between State Senator Joe Morrissey and former delegate Lashrecse Aird, a race where the results could be telling moving forward.
Several well-known local Democrats, like State Senator Lamont Bagby, Del. Delores McQuinn, and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, are backing Aird and campaigned for her Monday.
Aird has consistently attacked Morrissey for voting against abortion access in the past based of his religious views, an issue many Democrats see as key to fall elections.
"We must continue to get people to the polls and help them understand why we have to show up in this moment," Aird told a crowd of supporters.
"I am so excited that people know Morrissey because to know Morrissey is to have concern about tomorrow, to know Morrissey is to understand what's at stake in this election, and to know Morrissey is to get people fired up to make sure that is not the leadership that they bring to their community," Aird said in an interview.
Local political observers know that Joe Morrissey has a committed grassroots backing and can never be counted out of an election.
Morrissey said he was feeling confident for that reason.
"People know that Joe is a workhorse," Morrissey said while putting up signs at a polling place in eastern Henrico.
While he might not have the backing of local party bigwigs, Morrissey relishes the dynamics of this primary and said a win for him Tuesday would be a wake-up call for Virginia Democrats.
"I'm not saying that abortion isn't an important issue, but [voters] care about the gun violence. They care about the economic drivers in Surry and Sussex. They care about the casino in Hopewell and in Petersburg. They care about schools in Charles City County. That's what they care about," he said.
While SD-13 might be catching the most eyeballs ahead of Tuesday, there is a primary race in almost every city or county near metro Richmond.
The results of these races set the deck for the fall elections, where the balance of power at the General Assembly is up for grabs, and the fate of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin's term hinges on who comes out on top.
If there is a primary in your district, you can vote in either the Democratic or Republican race, but voters must pick one. You can check if there is a primary in your district here.
Historically, General Assembly primaries only get out the most politically-engaged voters, according to CBS 6 political analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth. This makes the Morrissey-Aird race, and realistically many others, so difficult to predict.
"School has just ended; [voters are] thinking of family vacations," said Dr. Holsworth. "The candidates who are most effective at driving voters to the polls are likely able to win. That’s what makes it so uncertain and makes primaries unpredictable. At the end of the day, we really don’t know who is going to show up. This is one of those great examples that showing up makes a big difference in life.”
You can read more about key races and information on the local primaries here.
Polls are open in precincts where there is a primary election from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
