Monday is the first day that statewide candidates can turn in the 10,000 signatures required for them to appear on the primary ballot in June. In the race for governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Sears both submitted their signatures at 12 p.m., the first minute that the Department of Elections allows.
“When I first decided to run for governor, I knew the way that we would win would be by organizing people, by getting people excited about this campaign,” Spanberger said in front of hundreds of her supporters Monday morning.
“More than 40,000 people signed their name to say, ‘yes, I want to get her on the ballot,’” Spanberger continued.
Sears’ campaign says they submitted more than 19,000 signatures.
“I want to thank the tens of thousands of Virginians who want to keep common sense in the Commonwealth,” Sears said in a written statement Monday. “With their support, we will win this race. Today just reaffirms that we have got what it takes to make that happen. I am committed to leading our Commonwealth with integrity, vision, and a steadfast dedication to the values that make Virginia exceptional.”
There is no word from the campaigns for Sears’ potential primary opponents, Amanda Chase and Dave LaRock, about how many signatures they have collected after launching their campaigns in recent weeks.
Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares submitted his campaign’s required signatures, and both of his Democratic challengers, Jay Jones and Shannon Taylor, submitted theirs as well.
Jones and Taylor were both present at the Department of Elections on Monday.
“It was a grassroots power effort, a lot of volunteers across Virginia, reflecting the broad-based support that we built up,” Jones said.
“The message of experience is resonating with voters,” Taylor said. “They are looking for a candidate that they know is going to fight to protect them and who has that experience.”
Most of the Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor—Levar Stoney, Aaron Rouse, Ghazala Hashmi, Babur Lateef and Victor Salgado—submitted their signatures on Monday before 12 p.m.
Salgado, a former federal prosecutor, was present at the Department of Elections.
“We’re going to provide real choice to the electorate in this election,” Salgado said during an interview.
He said he has an “actual track record of stepping up and standing up to Trump.”
Salgado prosecuted former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio in 2017 for contempt of court, despite Donald Trump’s objections.
Trump then pardoned Arpaio.
“We need somebody who not only understands the interplay between federal power and state power but also somebody who knows these people from the inside, who knows how they think, who knows what they’re going to do in anticipation,” Salgado said.
For the Republican lieutenant governor candidates, Pat Herrity is the only candidate to submit the 10,000 signatures required.
John Reid partially submitted signatures and told Virginia Scope he plans to have all 10,000 in by April 3.
“We will be completing a partial filing today, along with a more robust filing on April 3rd as our teams in the field continue to turn in new signatures,” Reid said in a text message.
The candidates now have 92 days to convince primary voters to choose them.
Spanberger, who is currently facing no primary opponents, has until November to convince voters — unless a last-minute challenger arises.
She reflected on telling her daughter she is running during her address to supporters Monday.
“I was having a conversation with one of my daughters, and I said, ‘you know, I’m really considering running for governor,’ to which she said, ‘I hear you and daddy talk about it all the time. I think you’ve already decided.’ To which I said, ‘Well, maybe, but I’m trying to have this conversation with you now. I’m really considering running for governor.’ And she looked at me and said, ‘You know, it would be really weird to have my mom be governor, but Virginia needs a good governor, and I think you could be a good governor. So while it would be weird for me, it would be good for all the other kids.’”