Republican Party primaries in Virginia, 2018

Elections in Virginia, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 15
• Early voting: N/A
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: Photo ID required
• Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Special state legislative • State ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

Republican Party primaries, 2018

Primary Date

June 12, 2018

Federal elections

Republican primary for U.S. Senate

Republican primaries for U.S. House

State elections

Republican primaries for Virginia legislature

State party

Republican Party of Virginia

State political party revenue

Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on the party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.

Heading into the 2018 election, the Republican Party's legislative record during Donald Trump’s presidency figured into several Republican primaries. This record included the passage of major tax legislation in December 2017 and the confirmation of federal judges. It also included a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in March 2018, which Trump opposed, and unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Trump, himself, also played a role in Republican primaries. His approval rating reached 90% in June among self-described Republicans, according to a Gallup survey. Many Republican candidates campaigned on their support for Trump, and negative ads accusing opponents of criticizing the president were common. A May report found Trump's name or image had appeared in 37% of all Republican campaign ads at that point in 2018.

This page focuses on the Republican primaries that took place in Virginia on June 12, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.

Battleground primaries

Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.

• United States Senate election in Virginia (June 12, 2018 Republican primary)
• Virginia's 6th Congressional District election (May 19, 2018 Republican convention)

Federal elections

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Virginia (June 12, 2018 Republican primary)

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Virginia (June 12, 2018 Republican primaries)

See also: Statistics on U.S. Congress candidates, 2018

District 1

 Republican primary candidates

• Robert J. Wittman (Incumbent) ✔

District 2

 Republican primary candidates

• Scott Taylor (Incumbent) ✔
• Mary Jones

District 3

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 4

 Republican primary candidates

• Shion Fenty
• Ryan McAdams ✔

Did not make the ballot:

• David Leon

District 5

 Republican primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:

• Denver Lee Riggleman III ✔

Did not make the ballot:

• Thomas Garrett (Incumbent)

District 6

Republican convention candidates

Note: The 6th Congressional District Republican Committee held a nominating convention on May 19, 2018.

• Ben Cline
• Cynthia Dunbar
• Mike Desjadon
• Chaz Haywood
• Ed Justo
• Kathryn Lewis
• Elliot Pope
• Douglas Wright

Declined to run

• Bob Goodlatte (Incumbent)

Withdrew

• Chan Park

District 7

 Republican primary candidates

• David Brat (Incumbent) ✔

District 8

 Republican primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:

• Thomas Oh ✔ 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 9

 Republican primary candidates

• H. Morgan Griffith (Incumbent) ✔

District 10

 Republican primary candidates

• Barbara Comstock (Incumbent) ✔
• Shak Hill

District 11

 Republican primary candidates

• Jeffery Anthony Dove Jr. ✔ 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 133 Virginia counties—3.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump margin of victory in 2016	Obama margin of victory in 2012	Obama margin of victory in 2008
Buckingham County, Virginia	11.28%	2.43%	0.87%
Caroline County, Virginia	5.02%	8.24%	11.97%
Essex County, Virginia	2.14%	7.30%	10.35%
Nelson County, Virginia	5.59%	2.72%	9.15%
Westmoreland County, Virginia	7.14%	6.95%	10.24%

Note: Although it is highlighted in the map above, the city of Chesapeake is not considered a county and not included in our calculations as such.

In the 2016 presidential election, Virginia was a battleground state. Hillary Clinton (D) won Virginia with 49.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic 56.67 percent of the time and Republican 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic three times (2008, 2012, and 2016) and Republican two times (2000 and 2004).

State elections

Virginia Party Control: 1992-2025
Four years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R
Senate	D	D	D	D	S	S	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	S	S	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	D	D

State party overview

See also: Republican Party of Virginia

State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016

Primary election scheduling

Virginia was one of five states to hold a primary election on June 12, 2018.

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Virginia utilizes an open primary process in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Virginia, all polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Virginia, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of Virginia, and at least 18 years of age.

Registration can be completed online, in person at a local voter registration office, or by mail. Voters can also register at the following locations:

“	State or local government offices when applying or re-certifying for Aid to Dependent Children, Food Stamps, WIC, Medicaid, or Rehabilitation Services Government offices in the state that provide state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities Armed forces recruitment offices Public libraries Virginia Department of Elections office Department of Motor Vehicles offices Voter registration drives	”
—Virginia Department of Elections

The deadline to register is the 11th day before a primary or general election, but a voter may register to voter after this deadline through the state's same-day registration system and vote a provisional ballot.

Automatic registration

On April 12, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed SB219 into law, establishing automatic voter registration for individuals conducting business with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Virginia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Virginia allows same-day voter registration in-person at local registrars' offices, satellite early voting sites during the early voting period, and at the precinct on Election Day.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Virginia, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Virginia does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who makes a materially false statement may be "sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, or up to 12 months in jail and/or fined up to $2,500."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

This page, run by the Virginia Department of elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

According to the Department of Elections website, "All voters casting a ballot in-person will be asked to show one form of identification. Any voter who does not present acceptable identification may instead sign a statement, subject to felony penalties, that they are the named registered voter who they claim to be. Any voter who does not present acceptable identification or sign this statement must vote a provisional ballot."

The following documents were considered acceptable identification for voting as of May 2023:

• Virginia driver's license or DMV-issued ID card
• Valid employee ID, containing a photo, issued by the voter's employer in ordinary course of business
• U.S. military ID
• Valid student ID, containing a photo, issued by any public or private school college, or university
• Valid student ID issued by a public or private school high school, college, or university in Virginia (with or without a photo)
• Valid U.S. passport or passport card
• ID card issued by the federal government or a Virginia state or local authority.
• Voter ID card issued by the department of elections
• Voter confirmation documents
• Valid tribal enrollment or ID issued by one of the 11 tribes recognized in Virginia
• Government nursing home resident ID
• Any other current government document containing the name and address of the voter
• Signed ID Confirmation Statement

Early voting

Virginia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website. Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All Virginia voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail. There are no special requirements to be eligible to vote absentee/by mail. Voters may request an absentee ballot online or complete a paper absentee ballot request form and return it to their local voter registration office by mail, fax, or email. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. at least 11 days before Election Day.

Completed ballots must be returned to the local registrar's office or an official drop off location by 7 p.m. on Election Day. If mailed, completed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within three days of the election in order to be counted.

On April 12, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed HB1 and SB111 into law, establishing no-excuse absentee voting 45 days prior to an election. The legislation was in effect for the November 3, 2020 election.

On the same day, Northam also signed HB238 and SB455, providing for absentee ballots postmarked on or before the date of an election to be counted if received by noon on the third day after the election.

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 133 Virginia counties—3.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump margin of victory in 2016	Obama margin of victory in 2012	Obama margin of victory in 2008
Buckingham County, Virginia	11.28%	2.43%	0.87%
Caroline County, Virginia	5.02%	8.24%	11.97%
Essex County, Virginia	2.14%	7.30%	10.35%
Nelson County, Virginia	5.59%	2.72%	9.15%
Westmoreland County, Virginia	7.14%	6.95%	10.24%

Note: Although it is highlighted in the map above, the city of Chesapeake is not considered a county and not included in our calculations as such.

In the 2016 presidential election, Virginia was a battleground state. Hillary Clinton (D) won Virginia with 49.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic 56.67 percent of the time and Republican 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic three times (2008, 2012, and 2016) and Republican two times (2000 and 2004).

See also

Federal primaries in Virginia	State primaries in Virginia	Virginia state party apparatus	Virginia voter information
Republican primaries for U.S. House Republican primary for U.S. Senate	State government trifectas Republican primaries for Virginia legislature	Democratic Party of Virginia Republican Party of Virginia State political party revenue	Voting in Virginia Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Virginia Redistricting in Virginia