U.S. Senate, Congressional Primary, Tuesday June 12.

Tomorrow, June 12, Virginia will hold a primary to choose candidates for U.S. Senate and several contested congressional districts.

Candidates for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate are former Governor and former U.S. Senator George Allen, former Richmond Tea Party President Jamie Ratke, Delegate Bob Marshall, and E. W. Jackson.  Two of the four have held elective office and have voting records on issues important to gun owners and sportsmen.

There are also several incumbent congressmen that are being challenged for nomination as well as primaries for opposing candidates.  Below is a list of those races that will also be on the ballot tomorrow. 

In the 7th Congressional District, 2010 "Independent Green" candidate Floyd C. Bayne is challenging House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, for the GOP nomination. Cantor has used Bayne's "Independent Green" label in this year's campaign to question whether Bayne is really a Republican.  Bayne has responded that he cut ties with the Independent Green Party after the 2010 election and that he also submitted a letter to the Chesterfield County Republican Committee repudiating his ties to the Green Party and making clear his desire to return to the Republican Party.

Cantor has been a good friend to gun owners since his time as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.  He recently signed on to a letter to President Obama urging him to have Attorney General Eric Holder to comply with a congressional subpoena regarding Operation Fast and Furious.  Cantor spoke at the 2012 NRA Annual Meetings in April.


The winner of the Cantor - Bayne primary will face Democrat E. Wayne Powell, a Richmond-area attorney, in the fall.

In another Richmond-area GOP contest, Bonnie Girard of Petersburg is challenging 4th District Rep. Randy Forbes for the Republican Party's nomination.  Forbes is another pro-rights elected official, having voted numerous times in the House of Delegates, State Senate, and now Congress, for legislation that would protect or expand our rights.

Also in the 4th District, Democrats Ella P. Ward and Joe T. Elliott are battling to take on the winner of the Forbes-Girard match-up.

In the 6th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte faces Karen U. Kwiathowski, a retired Air Force colonel from Harrisonburg.
In the 8th Congressional District, anti-rights Democrat Jim Moran is being challenged for the party's nomination by Bruce B. Shuttleworth, a former Navy fighter pilot.

In the 11th District, Chris S. Perkins, a retired Army colonel, faces Ken L. Vaughn, a traffic engineer, for the Republican nomination. The winner will face Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, D-11th, for the party's nomination.

As the NRA state affiliate, the Virginia Shooting Sports Association provides VSSA members scores for federal candidates, directly and unedited, as provided by NRA-ILA. You can click here to access the NRA-PVF endorsements for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House Primary.  

Polls will open at 6 AM Tuesday and remain open until 7 PM.