Virginia’s presidential primary is fast approaching, and many candidates will likely appear on the ballot for both the Democrats and Republicans. March 5th, 2024, is known as ‘Super Tuesday,’ in which over a dozen states, including Virginia, hold their presidential primaries. Super Tuesday is the most important date on the presidential primary calendar. In 2020, 1/3rd of Democratic nomination delegates were up for grabs on Super Tuesday. The general election will take place on November 5th, 2024.
For the Republican presidential primary, candidates will include former President Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Donald Trump won the Virginia Republican primary in 2016 by a narrow margin, and went on to lose the state to Democrat Hillary Clinton, becoming the first Republican in almost a century to win the White House without carrying Virginia. Virginia has rapidly shifted to being a Democratic-favorable state, after voting Republican for each presidential election from 1968 to 2004. It has voted Democratic in presidential elections since 2008. Many Virginia Republicans were disappointed by this past November’s election results, in which they lost both houses of the state legislature. Despite rumors, Virginia Republican governor Glenn Youngkin has stated he will not run for president
For the Democratic presidential primary, candidates will include incumbent President Joe Biden, who will be challenged by author Marianne Williamson, and Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips. Biden is expected to win Virginia’s primary easily, since his two challengers haven’t gained much traction. In 2020, Biden won the Virginia Democratic presidential primary by 30 points over Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and went on to trounce President Trump in the state by 10 points. Both wins were a result of high urban turnout, in places such as Fairfax and Loudoun Counties.
In Virginia, state law dictates that minors who turn 18 before November’s general election are allowed to vote in primaries. This means one can vote in a primary as a 17-year-old, as long as they become an adult by the day of the general election. This opens up the democratic process to thousands of young voters, who are directly affected by the issues. This means most current seniors will be able to vote in March. South Lakes High School has done voter outreach, such as posting voter registration QR codes and putting up large banners encouraging students to vote if eligible. FCPS is planning a day off for students on March 5th. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
