Voter's Guide: Tuesday Is Primary Day in Region

The polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Tuesday for primary elections in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park.

Virginia is an open primary state, which means voters don’t register by party and are not required to cast their vote by party affiliation.

On the Democratic side, candidates are vying for the party’s nominations for a seat in the Virginia Senate and a seat on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.

Three candidates are competing to succeed Charles Colgan in representing the 29th District in the Virginia Senate. Colgan, the state Senate’s longest-serving member, is retiring; he has repesented the area since 1976.

The 29th Senate District includes all of Manassas and Manassas Park, and a portion of central Prince William County. The candidates include:

• Atif Qarni, a middle school math teacher and member of Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s Small Business Commission.
• Jeremy McPike, who works as director of general services for the city of Alexandria. He also serves at the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department.
• Michael Futrell, a pharmaceutical salesman who currently represents the 2nd District in the Virginia House of Delegates.

In the Prince William supervisor race, two candidates are competing for the nomination for the Potomac District’s seat on the board. The Potomac District covers the southern end of the county, including the town of Dumfries. The candidates are:

• Andrea Bailey, a corporate business development professional.
• Derrick Wood, a member of the Dumfries Town Council who serves as chairman of the Dumfries Parks and Recreation Commission.

On the Republican side, candidates are competing to win the party’s nomination for the 2nd District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. The 2nd District comprises southern Prince William and northern Stafford counties. The candidates include:

• L. Mark Dudenhefer, a retired Marine who held the 2nd District seat from 2012 to 2014, when he was defeated by Democrat Michael Futrell.
• Timothy Ciampaglio, a Stafford business owner and retired Coast Guard officer.

For more information, check the Prince William County website.