Lots of candidates running for Virginia offices

State Sen. Ralph Northam, a candidate for lieutenant governor, speaks at a campaign event in Annandale May 5. Standing next to him are Del. Kaye Kory and Sen. Dick Saslaw.

We’ve got a whole slew of candidates running for statewide offices this year. The Democratic primary, on June 11, will have two candidates for lieutenant governor and two candidates attorney general on the ballot.

There are seven Republican candidates for lieutenant governor and two for attorney general. The Republican Party of Virginia is not holding a primary. Instead, the delegates at a Republican statewide convention, May 17-18 in Richmond, will vote on who should appear on the ballot in November.

There won’t be a primary in the race for governor, as there is just one candidate from each party: Republican  Ken Cuccinelli, the current attorney general and a Tea Party favorite, vs. Democrat Terry McAuliffe, former chair of the Democratic Party and co-chair of President Clinton’s re-election campaign. Cuccinelli is currently embroiled in Gov. Bob McDonnell’s troubles with Star Scientific, which is the subject of an FBI investigation.

Here’s a list of the candidates:

Lieutenant governor – Republicans

Jeannemarie Davis – Former member of the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate; lives in Vienna; married to former Republican congressman Tom Davis.

E.W. Jackson – Christian conservative activist; Marine veteran; lawyer; manager of gospel radio station;  founder of Exodus Faith Ministries in Chesapeake, Va.

Scott Lingamfelter – Represented Prince William and Fauquier counties in the House of Delegates since 2001; Army veteran; wants to reduce “intrusion of all levels of government in the lives of our hardworking citizens and the businesses that employ them.”

Steve Martin – Represented Chesterfield County, Amelia County, and Colonial Heights in the state Senate since 1994; served in the House of Delegates from 1987 to 1994.

Pete Snyder –Founder and former CEO of New Media Strategies and founder of Disruptor Capital; Fox News contributor; lives in Fairfax County; describes himself as pro-life and “ardent defender of the Second Amendment.”

Corey Stewart – Chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors; endorsed by the Virginia Tea Party Patriots; takes credit for “implementing the nation’s toughest crackdown on illegal immigration” and says he is “100 percent pro life and believes in traditional marriage.”

Susan Stimson – Chair of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors; describes herself as “100 percent pro-life” and “100 percent defender of gun rights”; vows to cut state spending.

Lieutenant governor – Democrats

Aneesh Chopra – Appointed Virginia secretary of technology by Gov. Tim Kaine; appointed the nation’s first chief technology officer by President Obama in 2009; lives in Arlington; believes “state government can be faster, smarter, better, and fairer.”

Ralph Northam – Represented the Norfolk area in the Virginia Senate since 2007; pediatric neurologist; Army veteran; supports reproductive rights for women and a ban on assault rifles.

Attorney general – Democrats

Justin Fairfax – Former assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in the major crimes and narcotics division; lives Northern Virginia; won straw poll by Democratic Business Council of Northern Virginia.

Mark Herring – Served in the Virginia Senate since 2006, representing parts of Fairfax and Loudoun counties; opposes efforts to take away women’s rights and efforts to roll back voting rights.

Attorney general – Republicans

Rob Bell – Represented Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, and Rockingham counties in the Virginia House of Delegates since 2001.

Mark Obenshain – Served in the Senate since 2003, representing Harrisonburg and parts of surrounding counties. Endorsed by the Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation

Voting information

People planning to vote in the Democratic party should check your voter registration status and polling location on the Virginia State Board of Elections website. For information about absentee voting, see the Fairfax County Office of Elections website.