Virginia Voter's Guide: Everything you need to know about the 2024 Election

RICHMOND, Va. -- Not sure if you've heard, but there is a rather important election this year.

The 2024 Presidential Election has gone through more twists and turns than the James River, and the importance of Virginia to the national electoral landscape has risen and fallen like the tide, according to political experts.

Republicans felt the Commonwealth was in play for much of the first half year, as former President Donald Trump pulled ahead of President Joe Biden in polling of Virginia voters. But when Biden dropped out of the race in July, Vice President Kamala Harris surged in polling across the Commonwealth.

Democrats have won Virginia in the presidential election every year since 2008. Ultimately, only the final vote tallies following Election Day, Nov. 5, will paint the full picture of which narrative prevailed in the eyes of Virginia voters.

A record number of Virginians are registered to vote this fall in an election that is expected to see significant turnout — in 2020 75% of registered Virginia voters cast a ballot. While plenty of ink and oxygen are used up on the presidential race, the stakes are high for "down ballot" races both on the federal and local levels.

Virginia voters will decide one U.S. Senate seat, all 11 Congressional districts, and hundreds of local races (see Richmond's mayoral campaign and Petersburg's casino vote).

This voter guide is designed to help Virginia voters understand what is on their ballot this fall, gain valuable information about the candidates running to lead our community and provide helpful resources to understand how, when, and where registered voters can cast a ballot.

Since WTVR is dedicated to covering issues critical to the Richmond region, we only include races linked closely to the Richmond-Petersburg area. Along the way, we also provide ways for Virginia voters who live outside the Richmond region to learn more about races in their backyard.

Here are some key dates, according to the Virginia Department of Elections, to keep in mind as early voting begins:

• September 20 — First day of early, in-person voting. Most localities allow early voting during business hours, and many provide satellite voting locations too.
• October 15 — Deadline to register or update voter registration. Click the link for more resources on both registering and checking your voter registration status can be found.
• October 25 — Deadline to request a mail-in ballot. Check with your local registrar for details in your area.
• October 26 — First day of Saturday in-person voting. The only other early Saturday option is November 2.
• November 2 — Final day of early, in-person voting. Local election offices close at 5 p.m. that day.
• November 5 — Election Day polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find your Election Day polling place and other important details through the Virginia Citizen Portal.

An amazing resource for any Virginia voter or political watcher is the non-partisan, non-profit Virginia Public Access Project. You can find their elections page here.

STATEWIDE RACES — President, U.S. Senate

U.S. President — the candidates will be listed on your ballot in the following order:

• Democratic Electors for Kamala D. Harris, President, and Tim Walz, Vice President
• Republican Electors for Donald J. Trump, President, and J.D. Vance, Vice President
• Green Party Electors forJill Stein, President, and Rudolph T. Ware, III, Vice President
• Libertarian Party Electors Chase R. Oliver, and Mike ter Maat, Vice President
• Independent Electors for Claudia De la Cruz, President and Karina Garcia, Vice President
• Independent Electors for Cornel R. West, President, and Melina Abdullah, Vice President

U.S. Senate — Sen. Tim Kaine (D) and Hung Cao (R)

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Richmond resident, is seeking his third term in the U.S. Senate. The former Virginia Governor and 2016 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee is one of the more high-profile Senate Democrats and a key member of several Senate committees: Budget, Foreign Relations, Armed Services, and Health and Education.

Hung Cao easily secured the Republican nomination in the June primary with nearly 62% of the vote. A retired Navy Captain, Cao has centered his campaign around trying to tie Kaine to issues like border security and is an ardent supporter of former President Trump.

The Cook Political Report rates this race as solid for the Democrat Kaine, who enjoyed a lead in the polling even when President Biden was still in the race. Cao will have to rely on a stronger-than-expected performance by former President Trump in Virginia, where he lost each of the last two elections.

U.S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

1st Congressional District — Rep. Rob Wittman (R) and Lesile Mehta (D)

Localities: western Henrico, western Chesterfield, Hanover (part), James City County, York, Glouchester, New Kent, Westmoreland, King William, Northumberland, Williamsburg, Poquoson, Lancaster, Middlesex, Essex, Matthews, Richmond County, King and Queen.

Rep. Rob Wittman has represented Virginia's 1st District since 2007, winning most of his elections by double digits despite the district becoming slightly more competitive following redistricting a few years ago. Wittman serves on the House Armed Services and Natural Resources committees.

Lesile Mehtawon the Democratic primary in June over Wittman's previous challenger to secure her party's nomination. Mehta is a civil rights attorney and the former legal director of the ACLU of Virginia.

As mentioned, Wittman has won most of his elections easily, and the Cook Political report lists the district at solid Republican. In the sprawling district, Republicans perform well in each statewide election, per VPAP.

4th Congressional District — Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D) and Bill Moher (R)

Localities: Richmond, eastern Chesterfield, eastern Henrico, Prince George, Petersburg, Dinwiddie, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, Brunswick, Sussex, Greensville, Charles City, Surry, Southampton, Emporia

Rep. Jennifer McClellan is seeking her first full term in Congress, after winning a special election last year following the death of Rep. Donald McEachin. Since that time, McClellan has been outspoken on reproductive rights, gun control, and worker's rights. She serves on the House Armed Services and Science, Space, and Technology Committees.

Bill Moher is a technology consultant and investor who focuses his campaign on free market principles and individual freedoms. Moher had previously tried to run for the Republican nomination in the 7th Congressional District — which will be vacant now that Rep. Abigail Spanberger has chosen to run for Governor — but he failed to qualify for the ballot, according to VPAP.

Since 2016, the Democratic candidate has won the 4th Congressional District easily and the Cook Political Report rates it as solid Democrat.

5th Congressional District — State Senator John McGuire (R) and Gloria Witt

Localities: Albemarle (part), Lynchburg, Pittsylvania, Campbell, Charlottesville, Louisa, Danville, Halifax, Powhatan, Mecklenburg, Bedford (part), Amherst, Goochland, Fluvanna, Hanover (part), Prince Edward, Appomattox, Nelson, Buckingham, Amelia, Nottoway, Charlotte, Lunenberg, Cumberland

In June, the focus of the political world was the Republican primary in Virginia's 5th District, where State Senator John McGuire defeated incumbent Freedom Caucus chairman Bob Good by making the race about support for former President Trump. The race went through a recount, which confirmed McGuire defeated one of the most conservative members of Congress, with the help of the former president.

During his time at the General Assembly, McGuire — a retired Navy SEAL and small business owner — tried to carve out a persona of hearing out views he did not support while still voting with conservative lawmakers most of the time.

Gloria Witt won the Democratic nomination in the 5th District by double digits in June. Retired from a nuclear energy company, Witt is an executive leadership consultant who writes she entered the race because of what she calls attacks by Republican lawmakers on the individual rights of women, minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community.

In the sprawling district that runs from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Richmond suburbs, past voting trends show the Republican candidate has an edge in the race. Two years ago, Good faced a well-funded challenger and still won by 15 percentage points.

All 11 of Virginia's Congressional Districts are contested in 2024, but only two (2nd and 7th) are expected to be competitive. Voters in those regions can learn more about their races via VPAP.

LOCAL RACES

Mayor of Richmond — Andreas Addison, Danny Avula, Harrison Roday, Maurice Neblett, Michelle Mosby

Richmond's mayoral election appears wide open, in part because of the unique way that Virginia's Capital city resolves the election. Following Election Day, if a candidate secures the most votes in five of the city's nine city council districts, they are declared the winner.

Should no single candidate win five districts, the two top overall vote-getters then head to a run-off election, which would be held on December 16 this year.

Dr. Danny Avula — a leading healthcare voice during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic — and Harrison Roday — a non-profit and business leader — carry fundraising advantages, both pulling in close to a million dollars, according to VPAP. Both Mosby and Addison have significant name recognition and previous city service as longtime members of Richmond City Council. Neblett is a community organizer with lifelong ties to Richmond.

All five Richmond mayoral candidates will appear at the Citizens Debate on October 15 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC) in Richmond.

The debate will be broadcast live on WTVR CBS 6 and streamed to WTVR.com, the CBS 6 News app, and the CBS 6 streaming channels on Roku and Apple TV.

Richmond City Council

DISTRICT 1 —West End

Three candidates are vying for the seat vacated by Andreas Addison, who decided to run for mayor.

• Andrew "Gumby" Breton is a local organizer and president of the Mary Munford PTA
• Zac Walker is the former president of the Monument Avenue Park Civic Association
• Paul Goldman is a former adviser to Mayor Douglas Wilder and a frequent critic of City Hall

DISTRICT 2 — North Central

Katherine Jordan is seeking her second full term and is running unopposed.

DISTRICT 3 — Northside

• City Council Vice President Ann Lambert is seeking her second full term in the seat
• Kenya Gibson serves the 3rd District on the School Board and is a local advocate
• Maria Carra Rose is a former HR consultant and local activist

DISTRICT 4 — Southwest

City Council President Kristen Nye elected to not seek her third term, and Sarah Abubaker, the director of strategic communications at the Collegiate School, is running unopposed.

DISTRICT 5 — Central

Stephanie Lynch is running unopposed for her second full term.

DISTRICT 6 — Gateway

• Ellen Robertson has represented the 6th District on the City Council for 20 years and won easily when facing past challengers.
• Tavares Floyd is George Floyd's cousin and a local lawyer and business owner.
• Willie Hilliard is a local barber and president of the Brookland Park Boulevard Business Association.

DISTRICT 7 — East End

• Cynthia Newbille has represented Richmond's East End on council since 2009 and won handily in each election since her first.
• Community organizer Eric Sundberg is serving in a legislative leadership role in the office of Del. Joshua Cole.

DISTRICT 8 — Southside

• Reva Trammell has represented South Richmond since 1998.
• Frank Wilson Jr.is a magistrate for the Supreme Court of Virginia.

DISTRICT 9 — South Central

• Nicole Jones was appointed to the City Council earlier this year to replace Del. Michael Jones, who was elected to the General Assembly in November 2023.
• Stephanie Starling is a customer service consultant and local activist, according to reports.

Richmond School Board

DISTRICT 1 — West End

Current School Board Member Liz Doerr, who chose not to seek re-elecction.

• Matthew Percival is running unopposed.

DISTRICT 2 — North Central

• Mariah White (incumbent)
• Katie Ricard

DISTRICT 3 — Northside

Current School Board Member Kenya Gibson chose to run for City Council.

• Ali Faruk
• Charlene Riley
• Kevin Starlings

DISTRICT 4 — Southwest

• Wesley Hedgepeth
• Angela Fontaine
• Garrett Sawyer (incumbent, appointed)

DISTRICT 5 — Central

• Stephanie Rizzi (incumbent)
• Mamie Taylor

DISTRICT 6 — Gateway
Dr. Shonda Harris-Muhammed is the incumbent and running unopposed.

DISTRICT 7 — East End

Cheryl Burke currently represents the district and is running unopposed.

DISTRICT 8 — Southside

Current School Board Member and current chair Dawn Page chose to not seek re-election.

• E.J. "Emmett Jay" Jafari
• P.H. "Cruz" Sherman

DISTRICT 9 — South Central

Current School Board MemberShavonda Dixon — who was appointed to the seat when Nicole Jones was appointed to City Council — is running unopposed.

Petersburg City Council

2nd WARD

• Darrin Hill (incumbent)
• Belinda Baugh

4th WARD

• Charles Cuthbert (incumbent)
• Michael Edwards

6th WARD

• Annette Smith-Lee (incumbent)
• Tonya Brown

Petersburg School Board

2nd WARD

• Hal Miles, Sr.

4th WARD

• Celeste Wynn
• Linda "Latifah" Muhammad
• Marcus Squires
• Taccarri Tucker

6th WARD

• Bernard Lundy, Jr.

Colonial Heights City Council

Voters in Colonial Heights will select four at-large seats out of six candidates.

• Len Hall, Jr.
• Robert "Bobby" Wade (incumbent)
• T. Gregory Kochuba (incumbent)
• Tricia Palmer
• Brad Slaybaugh
• Daniel LaLonde
• Craig Skalak

Colonial Heights School Board

Voters in Colonial Heights will select three at-large seats out of four candidates.

• Angie Woody
• Debbie Mayes Walwer
• Joseph "Joe" Cox, Jr.
• Keith Kapinskis (incumbent)

Hopewell City Council

4th WARD

• Halimah Shepherd Crawford
• Ronnie Ellis, Jr.

5th WARD

• Ed Houser
• Susan Daye

6th WARD

• Yolanda Wyche Stokes

Petersburg Casino Vote

Petersburg voters will get a final say on whether or not a casino/resort will be built in the city limits. Petersburg city leaders selected NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith and The Cordish Company to develop the $1.4 billion casino project on Wagner Road just off I-95 south of downtown. The proposal is contingent on votes approving it.

Petersburg pushed to receive the referendum after the city of Richmond voted down a proposed casino project twice.

The exact language on the ballot is listed below:

"Shall casino gaming be permitted at a casino gaming establishment in Petersburg, Virginia located on an approximately 92.5-acre development site located off Interstate-95 at Wagner Road along Brasfield Parkway in the City of Petersburg as may be approved by the Virginia Lottery Board?"

Statewide tax referendum

All Virginia voters will decided whether or not to extend real estate tax exemptions provided to surviving spouses of soliders killed in action to any surviving spouse of a solider killed in the line of duty. Currently, only spouses of military members killed in the line of duty receive the tax exemption.

The exact langue of the allot is listed below:

"Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended so that the tax exemption that is currently available to the surviving spouses of soldiers killed in action is also available to the surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty?"

The Virginia Department of Elections has a full explainer of the proposal on their website.

For more information on the local races in other parts of Virginia, include local town races, click here.

NOTE: if we missed any races, included incorrect links, or published any spelling errors, please reach out to us at web@wtvr.com.