Virginia
Republican primary for Virginia governor up in the air
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – A Republican primary election is not out of the question for the 2025 race to be Virginia’s next governor.
Former Virginia State Senator Amanda Chase filed paperwork to run right before the deadline on Thursday, April 3.
Still, even she is unsure if she will make it into the race, saying over the phone on Friday, she can not confirm how many signatures she got.
It’s a tough place for any candidate, according to Larry Sabato, director of UVA’s Center for Politics.
“She didn’t get very more than the minimum required and the usual rule of thumb is you get more than 50% of what you need,” Sabato said.
In addition to the 10,000 total signatures each candidate needs, they also have to get 400 valid registered voters in each of Virginia’s congressional districts.
“Incumbents always know they can get those signatures,” Sabato said. “It’s the challengers who have those problem.”
Still, a GOP primary race for governor could be coming. It is a costly battle between candidates that Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger gets to avoid, having secured her party’s nomination.
“It causes a candidate to spend money they’d prefer to save for the general election. It takes time and energy. There are negative charges that can be put into general election TV ads,” Sabato said.
The Virginia Republican party has a few days to tally up all the signatures, but even if Chase skates by with enough, Sabato believes, she’s far from a favorite.
“The state party is clearly more in favor of [Winsome] Earle-Sears because she’s the incumbent Lt. Governor and she’s the choice of Governor [Glenn] Youngkin,” Sabato said.
Earle-Sears said she raised around $3.1 million in this year’s first quarter reporting period.
No other candidate has released this information yet.
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WISE COUNTY, VA (WCYB) — Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has requested the Virginia Attorney General’s Office investigate the 2025 homicide of a Wallens Ridge State Prison inmate.
The Attorney General’s Office confirmed the development to News 5 on Tuesday, May 27.
“The circumstances around the death of Aubrey McKay are of a very serious and troubling nature. Governor Spanberger has requested that the Office of the Attorney General conduct an investigation and initiate any criminal prosecutions that arise. This office will continue its thorough, complete, and timely investigation into these consequential matters,” Attorney General Jay Jones said in an emailed statement.
McKay died on June 4, 2025, while inside the Wise County correctional facility.
The Virginia Department of Corrections confirmed his death is being investigated as a homicide and said at least one officer was either reprimanded or placed on leave.
The Virginia medical examiner’s office listed McKay’s cause of death as multifactorial asphyxia. Virginia State Police also confirmed it is investigating the case.
The Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office also confirmed it will no longer be involved in the case.
A spokesperson for the Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office told News 5 on May 25 that Smyth County would oversee the prosecution because of the nature of the investigation.
Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney Phillip Blevins later confirmed he has recused himself from the case.
In a court order provided to News 5 dated May 22, Blevins wrote that he has an association with at least one potential witness involved in the investigation. He was excused from the case.
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (WSET) — A manufacturing company in South Boston is now in contact with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality after an oil spill this week.
A Hitachi Energy spokesperson says that because of heavy rainfall and a pump failure, a small amount of transformer mineral oil spilled.
The manufacturing company makes power transformers. The spokesperson told ABC 13 that an employee noticed oil in a secondary containment area.
SEE ALSO: Virginia measles cases climb as outbreak hits Buckingham County, officials say
The company says the material was tested and found to be non-toxic. They say the oil stayed on company property with no harm to the community or environment.
ABC 13 reached out to the Department of Environmental Quality, and we are waiting to hear back.
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