This week will see some major news for the 2023 election in Virginia.
This week is the filing deadline for candidates to be on the ballot for the June primary, which means it’s crunch time for last-minute decisions. Delegate Kaye Kory of Fairfax County and Delegate Jeff Campbell of Smyth County say they will not be seeking reelection, adding their names to a very long list of incumbent House members leaving office.
David Ramadan is a former Republican delegate who’s now at the Schar School at George Mason University.
"This is the first time in our lifetime pretty much where the General Assembly was redistricted by a third party without consideration for the incumbent members," Ramadan says. "Therefore, we’re seeing a large number of members that are leaving because they want to avoid battles with their colleagues."
And keep an eye out for potential new candidates to file for office all the way up until the last minute, says Democratic strategist Ben Tribbett.
"The day before the filing deadline, I could move to any locality in northern Virginia, and I have my one year of Virginia residency and I could file to be mayor of Leesburg or run for City Council in Quantico or whatever else," Tribbett explains. "So, Virginia is very loose on these issues."
Incumbent members of the General Assembly who decide against running and potential new candidates who decide in favor of running have until Thursday to make a final decision.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
