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Virginia Democrats will choose their nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general in a June 17 primary, with six candidates competing for lieutenant governor and two seeking the attorney general nomination.

Early in-person voting continues through June 14. The deadline to request a mailed ballot is June 6.

The nominees will advance to November’s election for Virginia’s top statewide offices. The gubernatorial field is already set, with Democrat Abigail Spanberger, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears and independent Andrew White running for governor.

Republicans have one candidate for each of the other statewide offices: John Reid for lieutenant governor and incumbent Jason Miyares for attorney general.

Six Democrats seek lieutenant governor nomination

Virginia’s lieutenant governor presides over the state Senate and casts votes when needed to break ties. The officeholder is also first in the line of succession if the governor dies, resigns or otherwise leaves office.

Created under the Virginia Constitution of 1851, the part-time position carries a salary of $36,321. Virginia has had 42 lieutenant governors, including those who served during the Confederacy, and several have later become governor or held other political offices.

Alex Bastani is an attorney and former Department of Labor economist who has also served as a local union president and worked as a character actor. He earned a law degree from George Mason University in 1994 and a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University. He lives in Arlington.

State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi was first elected to the Senate in 2019 and represents District 15 in a term running through 2028. She became the first Muslim and first Asian American to serve in the Virginia Senate. Her 30-year career as a professor included positions at Reynolds Community College and the University of Richmond. Hashmi holds a doctorate in American literature from Emory University and a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University. She lives in Chesterfield County.

Dr. Babur Lateef is a physician and owner of Advanced Ophthalmology Inc. He has served as an at-large member of the Prince William County School Board since 2018, with his current term extending through 2028. Lateef attended Northeast Ohio University College of Medicine and earned his bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University. He lives in Prince William County.

State Sen. Aaron Rouse entered the Senate through a 2023 special election and now represents District 22 in a term running from 2024 to 2028. He previously served as an at-large member of the Virginia Beach City Council from 2019 through 2022. A former NFL and UFL athlete, Rouse founded the nonprofit Rouse’s House. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and lives in Virginia Beach.

Victor Salgado worked as senior litigation counsel in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and as an adjunct law professor at Georgetown University Law Center. He earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and his bachelor’s degree from George Washington University. He lives in Arlington County.

LeVar Stoney served as Richmond’s mayor from 2016 until January 2025. From 2014 to 2016, he was Virginia’s first African American secretary of the commonwealth. Stoney earned his bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and lives in Richmond.

Two candidates compete for attorney general

Virginia’s attorney general serves as the commonwealth’s chief law enforcement officer and legal representative. The office manages a legal staff, advises and represents the governor, General Assembly members and state agencies, enforces state laws and oversees investigations into criminal activity.

The full-time position carries a four-year term, has no term limit and pays $150,000. Candidates must be at least 30 years old, be U.S. citizens and have belonged to the Virginia State Bar for at least five years before the election.

Shannon Taylor has served as Henrico County’s commonwealth’s attorney since her election in 2011. She is also president of the Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorneys Association. Taylor earned her law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1995 and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia. She lives in Henrico County.

Jay Jones is a trial attorney who represented District 89 in the House of Delegates from 2018 through 2021. He previously worked as an assistant attorney general in the District of Columbia’s Office of Consumer Protection. Jones earned his law degree from the University of Virginia in 2015 and a bachelor’s degree in history and government from the College of William & Mary. He lives in Norfolk.