Republicans fight to restore party-run primaries, challenge new state law

Republican leaders in Virginia’s 6th Congressional District have voted overwhelmingly to challenge a new state law they say strips political parties of their right to control their own nomination process.

On March 1, members of the district’s GOP committee by a 22-1 margin agreed to file a lawsuit seeking to overturn what has been dubbed Helmer’s law, named after Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, who sponsored the legislation in 2021. The law effectively forces parties to nominate candidates through state-run primary elections rather than their own party-run contests.

The lawsuit, which Republicans said will be filed by Staunton attorney Jeff Adams, argues that the law — which went into effect in January 2024 — violates both the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions by removing a party’s ability to determine how it selects its own nominees.

Republicans have long expressed concerns that because Virginia does not require voters to register by party, the law allows Democrats to participate in Republican primaries, and vice versa, potentially influencing the outcome.


https://virginiamercury.com/2025/03/06/republicans-fight-to-restore-party-run-primaries-challenge-new-state-law/