Primary election held to pick party nominees for 9th district special election

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) -The race is on to determine who voters will see on the ballot during next month’s special election to fill the seat for Virginia’s 9th District Senate seat.

The Republican party had one person file as a candidate. Since only one person filed, the party canvass that the GOP had planned on Sunday was automatically cancelled.

Stephen Imholt will be on the ballot as the Republican nominee. He previously ran for the House of Delegates back in 2015.

Meanwhile, Virginia Democrats opened four polling locations across the area hosting a firehouse primary to pick one of three candidates as their nominee. Those three candidates were Delegate Lamont Bagby, Alexsis Rodgers, and Delegate Dawn Adams.

“We had a few locations that we used for the 4th congressional district firehouse primary back in December,” said Liam Watson who is the Press Secretary for the Virginia Democratic Party.

Those polling locations were operated by roughly 125 volunteers with more than 2,000 people coming out to vote on Sunday for the Democratic party.

“We’re very excited by the turnout we’ve seen today you know even though this is a process that had to be put together very quickly we’re exceptionally proud of how fair and transparent the process is,” Watson stated.

Depending on who wins the special election in March, we may see another special election.

“We’re likely to see another one as whoever would fill Delegate Adams or Delegate Bagby’s seat would need to go through a firehouse primary process as well,” Watson said.

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