Former state Sen. Amanda Chase is optimistic that she will receive the 10,000 signatures, including 400 from each congressional district, by the April 3 deadline to make the ballot for governor. She is seeking the Republican nomination.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears has already turned in enough signatures to run for the GOP nomination.
Chase told Virginia Scope Friday morning that the collection process is going “very well.”
“We’ve all done months worth of work in weeks,” Chase said in a text message. “We hope to finish getting the signatures we need this weekend between the Hampton gun show and all of the NASCAR races this weekend.”
On Monday, Chase said her campaign was halfway to the required signatures.
“Our campaign is rolling forward like a massive snowball, which is picking up speed and momentum every day, until we cross through the finish line NEXT THURSDAY when we turn in our petitions to the Virginia State Board of Elections,” she wrote in an email to her supporters.
Former Del. Dave LaRock has been quiet about his efforts and did not respond to Virginia Scope’s inquiry about his progress Friday.
Waverly Woods, a volunteer for LaRock, said that she does not know the overall number of signatures that have been collected, but she told Virginia Scope that she turned in the number of signatures needed from Virginia Beach.
“We got the number for my area,” Woods said.
If either Chase or LaRock make the ballot, it will set up a Republican primary between them and Sears.
On the other side of the aisle, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger is the only candidate seeking the Democratic nomination.