Virginia’s delayed primaries finally delivered nominees, and the story is less about who won than how few people bothered to vote. Bert Mizusawa, the retired Army major general, secured the Republican Senate nomination with just over half the vote and will now face Mark Warner.
In the closely watched 7th District, Doug Ollivant posted a commanding win and sets up a November rematch of sorts against incumbent Eugene Vindman in one of the Commonwealth’s true purple seats. Dave Beckwith ran away with the 10th District Republican primary and will challenge first-term Democrat Suhas Subramanyam.
Turnout across the board was dismal—another reminder that voters are tired after three elections in nine months. Anti-Trump messaging that worked in past cycles appeared to lose steam, especially in the 8th District where Don Beyer easily turned back a multi-candidate challenge.
Data centers keep emerging as the rare issue that unites Democrats and Republicans who both worry about power bills, water, and vanishing open space. Kelly Sankowski walked through the candidate interviews she conducted and the questions still hanging over November. Northern Virginia’s political map is set, but the real contest may be whether anyone still has the energy to show up.
