Democrats have focused much time and attention on the race to represent the McLean area in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Voters will go to the polls in Tuesday’s Democratic primary to choose between Richard Sullivan and Margaret Vanderhye. The district is the only inside-the-Beltway House seat the party does not control, but that couldchange in November. Businessman David Hunt, a former Callahan staff member, is the Republican nominee.
“Democrats are very interested in this race,” said Sean O’Brien, who directs the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. “It is an important part of their plan to shrink the Republican majority in the House.”
The other regional Democratic House primary comes in Fairfax’s 40th District, where longtime resident Rex Morris is competing with Morris Meyer. Meyer recently moved to Virginia after an unsuccessful run for Congress in Texas.
The only local state Senate primary is in the 39th District, which straddles Fairfax and Prince William counties. George Barker, who works for the Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia, and consulting-business owner Greg Galligan are vying to take on Sen. Jay O’Brien, R-Clifton.
The General Assembly candidates have spent hundreds of hours competing for support, though the general public is largely focused on enjoying the summer.
“I can’t imagine anything that will make us have an unusually high turnout,” said said U.Va.’s O’Brien, who is not related to the state senator. “A ton of people voting in a primary is still a very small percentage of the potential electorate. It’s kind of sad.”
