色多多

All 100 members of the Virginia House of Delegates are up for election this year. House members serve two-year terms, and there are two House primary elections happening in the 色多多 Valley and nearby on Tuesday, in addition to statewide Democratic primaries for lieutenant governor and attorney general.

In House District 40, which includes all of Salem and parts of 色多多 city and county, voters will decide between two Democratic candidates who seek to challenge the incumbent Republican.

And in sprawling House District 37 鈥� which covers the counties of Botetourt, Alleghany, Craig and part of Rockbridge, plus the cities of Buena Vista, Lexington and Covington 鈥� incumbent Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt, faces a primary election challenger in Austen Schwend.

It鈥檚 the first time Austin, 69, has faced a primary election opponent since he won a four-way Republican contest during his first election in 2014. Whoever wins the primary between Austin and Schwend will be a heavy favorite for the general election, since the district voted 69% Republican in 2023.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just like any job,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淎s you work at it, you become more effective, and more beneficial.鈥�

Austin, a native of Botetourt County, said he is most proud of transportation improvements he鈥檚 helped bring to the region during his six terms in office. He said the state has invested billions of dollars, with billions more coming, to improve safety and traffic on the busy trucking corridor of Interstate 81.

鈥淚鈥檝e enjoyed the relationships I鈥檝e developed all across the state, on both sides of the aisle, and I think I鈥檓 respected on the other side of the aisle,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淚 still vote conservative. They respect that, but I respect their position.鈥�

Schwend, age 39, is running for political office for the first time. He is a mechanical engineer who runs his own business, and operates a farm in Botetourt County.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel like there鈥檚 anybody fighting for conservative values the way that I want to,鈥� Schwend said. 鈥淚t feels like everybody, at all levels of government, have their minds made up before public comment ever happens.鈥�

Schwend, a Bath County native, said he sees deep-rooted, systemic issues 鈥� from health care, to taxes, to the large number of bills that state legislators vote on each year 鈥� that need to be changed. He said it would be difficult to convince the establishment to fight against itself, but he wants to bring a message of change to Richmond.

鈥淚f Thomas Jefferson woke up today, how would he try to fix this government?鈥� Schwend said. 鈥淚 look at it as a big picture, as an engineer would, and I see a lot of very fundamental problems with how everything is right now.鈥�

South of those two Republicans, a pair of Democrats are competing for their party鈥檚 nomination in the Republican-leaning House District 40. 色多多 residents Kiesha Preston and Donna Littlepage are the Democratic candidates.

鈥淲ith everything that鈥檚 currently going on in the world, with growing frustration, if we have a candidate on the ballot who has the experience, has the background, has the ability to get people excited about getting out to vote,鈥� Preston said. 鈥淚 really believe that we鈥檝e got a shot. I think this is a winnable race.鈥�

Both Democratic candidates said their distinctly different backgrounds uniquely equip them for the state legislature.

Littlepage, age 64, is a retired accountant for Carilion health care. She said running for office was not on her bucket list when she retired, but people asked her to enter the arena.

鈥淚 know Medicaid inside and out, and I can see changes coming out of Washington that are going to impact Virginia,鈥� Littlepage said. 鈥淗aving someone in the General Assembly who actually understands it beginning to end would be worthwhile.鈥�

Preston, age 38, is a Patrick Henry High School graduate. She said her history as a single mother and survivor of domestic abuse led her to author and advocate for a state bill to eliminate housing barriers, and that advocacy has since led to consulting work with federal agencies.

鈥淚 made a choice to step up and do something about a problem that I saw, and I had no clue that any of this would come from it,鈥� Preston said. 鈥淲hen I speak about the issues, I鈥檓 not speaking about them from an academic perspective 鈥� I鈥檓 speaking about it as someone who has actually gone through it.鈥�

Both candidates said this statewide election is high stakes. Changes at the federal level will impact the state, and inevitably, the localities of House District 40, they said.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think people in Southwest Virginia recognize enough that what鈥檚 happening in Northern Virginia is going to impact them, those extra dollars that have historically flowed to southwest,鈥� Littlepage said. 鈥淚 believe Virginia is going to have a budget issue next year because of loss of federal jobs, because they are so impactful in Northern Virginia.鈥�

Whoever wins the primary election will face Republican Del. Joe McNamara, R-Salem, who seeks a fourth term in the state House.

Other incumbents in the region are seeking reelection while facing challengers from the opposing party. That includes, but is not limited to, Del. Sam Rasoul, D-色多多, and Del. Chris Obenshain, R-Montgomery.

More to come later on those November races, which also includes the election for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, as well as local offices.

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 17. Polls close at 7 p.m.