It is an unusual time for a primary election in Virginia, but voters will head to the polls Aug. 4, choosing their nominees in races for Senate, House of Representatives and local offices.
小萝莉影视 traveled across Northern Virginia to speak to voters about what issues are most important to them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the economy, stupid,鈥� said Rana Cullers in Fauquier County, echoing the famous line coined by James Carville after running Bill Clinton鈥檚 presidential campaign.
Almost every voter talked about the kitchen table issue of affordability, especially the high price of gas.
鈥淧rice of gas, price of food,鈥� said Ken Embrey, who was dining in the Old Salem Cafe in Marshall, Virginia. 鈥淐ouple of weeks ago, the price of gas was $3.50 and now it鈥檚 $4.05.鈥�
He also said his electric bill has gone up by $50 over just the last year.
鈥淲e are in an absolutely unnecessary war, which I think is jacking up the prices,鈥� Cullers said, referring to the war in Iran.
鈥淢y biggest fear is the war in Iran and the fallout from that,鈥� John Sweatt said. 鈥淗igher prices for everything, it is going to affect the supply chains for everything.鈥�
Jennifer Victor, associate professor of political science at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, said Virginia voters mirror the rest of the country.
鈥淰oters seem to be really concerned about the cost of living,鈥� Victor said. 鈥淲e hear a lot of chatter about gas prices and grocery prices and things like that. I think there is some heightened concern among widespread voters that it’s just a little bit harder to get by and to feel like you’re able to get ahead and help your kids get ahead.鈥�
Tanya Jackson, who lives in Fairfax County, told 小萝莉影视 that high gas prices and rising costs of other expenses are forcing her and her husband to think strategically.
鈥淭ry to limit our driving and riding bikes, etc.,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淟uckily, I work from home, so I can help cut down that additional cost. But just thinking strategically because we’ve seen it in the prices for airlines and travel.鈥�
Another concern that came from many of the voters 小萝莉影视 spoke to across Northern Virginia is data centers and their proliferation in the commonwealth.
鈥淧reserving our land,鈥� Cullers told 小萝莉影视. 鈥淏asically protecting our environment in terms of skewing away from implementing data centers.鈥�
Helen Christian, another Fauquier County resident, said, 鈥淚 live on a farm. We have wells. Water is always an issue, and the fact that they’re sucking up all the water. My issue with the data centers is in five or 10 years they’re going to come up with some sort of alternative, and we’re going to be left with these monsters. … It’s mind-boggling.鈥�
Victor said, while data centers are definitely a bigger issue in the commonwealth than most of the U.S. because Virginia is home to the highest number of the facilities in the country, it is still an issue that is more present in the minds of certain voters.
鈥淢y sense is that data centers in general are still something that like only very informed, involved voters and people who are really invested and connected to their communities,鈥� Victor said. 鈥淎I and the technology change is happening so fast. I think a lot of folks just aren’t quite sure what to make of it yet.鈥�
A few other issues came up as a top priority, including gun rights.
鈥淚 just want to preserve our Second Amendment rights,鈥� Noah Sadr, a Prince William County resident, told 小萝莉影视.
Virginia passed an assault weapons and high-capacity magazine ban this year. Currently, there is an injunction on the law stopping it from going into effect.
Ty Jackson told 小萝莉影视, 鈥淚 think property taxes is probably high on my list. I’ve just seen a drastic increase since we moved here about 14 years ago. They definitely increased a tremendous amount, and I’m not sure if I’m seeing any difference outside.鈥�
Other voters are considering this election cycle as a referendum on President Donald Trump.
鈥淕etting the Republicans out of office. Simple as that. Just as simple as that, man. They’re a disaster and we need to change,鈥� said one voter from Winchester, who wished to remain anonymous. 鈥淚 don’t think the Democrats are in much better shape, but it’s the lesser of two evils at this point.鈥�
Christian said, 鈥淭his crazy person that we have in the White House, how do we get him out of there. The war, I mean, where do I begin? All the cuts to social services. I’m a big Democrat supporting those that are in need. … It horrifies me what’s going on.鈥�
Victor said typically in a midterm election, political scientists expect the party of the president to do poorly and for the out party, in this case Democrats, to pick up seats.
But still, Victor expects this primary to have abysmal turnout.
鈥淧eople are on vacation. They’re out of town. They haven’t made plans to do an absentee ballot,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not on their radar. It’s not typical. And then to be honest, like most of the races are not competitive.鈥�
Virginia鈥檚 primaries typically take place in June, but they were pushed back this year as part of the democratic push to redraw congressional maps in the commonwealth.
All seats for the House of Representatives and the Senate seat held by Mark Warner is also up for election. Three Republicans 鈥� Kim Farington, Bert Mizusawa and David Earl Williams 鈥� are vying to challenge him in November.
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