Want to run for council as a Democrat or Republican? We're going to have primaries this year

Bill Atkinson, Petersburg Progress-Index
·4 min read

PETERSBURG – In the past, City Council elections usually have been devoid of party labels even if the candidates running for them were not. Any assortment of Democrats or Republicans could run for the seat, but there could not be any whiff of party affiliation anywhere on the ballot.

Until this year.

Legislation passed by the 2021 Virginia General Assembly went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, that sets up the procedure for local political parties to hold primaries for council seats. Those primary winners still would not have a “D” or “R” beside their names on the November ballot, but their positioning on that ballot could serve as an indicator of party affiliation.

That does not mean an independent candidate could not run in November, however. If they want to run without any party label, then they would submit their paperwork to the general registrar’s office just as it traditionally is done.

In Petersburg and other Virginia localities with council elections this year, the local primary season kicks off March 18. Petersburg will choose councilors for wards 2, 4 and 6.

From March 18 to April 4, anyone wanting to run for council as a Democrat or Republican would submit their application materials to the local party chairs instead of the registrar’s office. Between April 5-9, the local parties would vet the packets to ensure they meet Virginia’s election standards, including the minimum 125 signatures from registered voters within the contested ward, and advise local and state election officials.

The primaries would be held on June 18. The winners would square off in the Nov. 5 general election.

It applies to council elections only. School Board candidates are not subject to party primaries.

A few other points to consider about the primary:

  • Positioning on the primary ballot is based upon the time and date stamp on reception of the candidate’s paperwork. The first person to submit their paperwork to the local party’s committee will be the first name to appear on the primary ballot, then second, then third and so forth.

  • If you plan to seek a party nomination, then do not go to the registrar’s office to submit your materials because you will just be directed to the local party headquarters. Anytime a party-affiliated primary is held, the local parties will do all the prep work on the materials.

  • When the November election rolls around, any candidate with a party affiliation will be listed on the ballot ahead of the independent candidates, but that affiliation will not appear on the ballot. Therefore, it will be up to the voter to be aware of their party nominee’s name prior to going into the booth.

  • The placement of Democratic or Republican candidates on the November ballot will be chosen through a drawing held at the Department of Elections headquarters in Richmond. If the Democratic party is pulled from that hat, then the Democratic-affiliated candidate will appear first, and vice versa.

Michael Maszaros and Janell Sinclair, chairs of the Petersburg Republican and Democratic committees respectively, said they think the largest obstacle facing them is the newness of the process. While there have been canvasses, conventions and simple acclamation in unopposed cases to choose nominees in the past, the parties never had to go to the polls before.

“It sort of precludes us [as a committee] from making the decision,” Maszaros said.

Sinclair noted that when they found out the state parties had signed off on the primary, “I asked a lot of questions” about what needed to be done.

“You know some people, we always want things to stay the same,” she said.

Given the fact that the calls for the primary from the state parties were only issued within the past month – the Democratic call was made Feb. 15 and the GOP on March 5 – the local committees have had to do crash courses in how to run such a selection process.

In Petersburg, several candidate packets have been requested from the registrar’s office. However, only three candidates have formally announced plans to run. All are in Ward 4, which encompasses parts of the downtown and Blandford areas, the Sycamore Street corridor and a portion of Walnut Hill.

Those candidates are Ward 4 incumbent Charlie Cuthbert, and first-time candidates Michael Edwards and Kat McCay. To date, none have indicated if they will seek party backing or run as an independent.

In summary:

  • If you live in wards 2, 4 or 6 and are interested in running in the primary, submissions will start to be accepted March 18 and run through April 4.

  • Any potential Democratic candidates shall submit their completed materials to the law office of Dale Pittman at 112 W. Tabb St., Suite A.

  • Any potential Republican candidates shall submit their completed materials to 129 Marshall St. or electronically to info@petersburggop.com

  • Positions on the primary ballot will be decided by the time and date stamps on when the materials are received.

  • The primary will be held June 18.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Local parties will hold primaries to pick council candidates