They're known as party canvasses or unassembled caucuses or sometimes firehouse primaries. They nominate candidates in a process that is run by party leaders rather than election officials. They rarely happen for regularly scheduled elections because of requirements for participation of overseas and military voters.

Former President Donald Trump’s return to the White House following the Nov. 5 election is already sending ripples through Virginia politics and setting the stage for an intense 2025 election cycle in the commonwealth.

Five Democrats will compete in a firehouse primary Saturday for a Loudoun County state House seat, which Del. Kannan Srinivasan (D) is vacating after winning his party’s nomination last week for an open state Senate seat.

While most states have time to breathe after presidential elections, Virginia has what are known as off-year elections.

Feggans, a Democrat, will face former Del. Tim Anderson, a Republican, who decided to run in an effort to flip the Democratic-controlled majority in the House.

What's next for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, who says that former President Trump's decisive election victory earlier this month means he now has "a friend in the White House."

Low-turnout special elections can be unpredictable. Just last year, Democrats were able to flip a red seat blue in Hampton Roads. Now, Republicans are hoping they'll be able to pull off a similar upset victory in Northern Virginia.

The overall 2024 turnout rate was just over 69%, the lowest for a presidential election since 2000, according to ELECT. That year George W. Bush and Al Gore were on the ballot.

By running for reelection, Miyares avoids a potentially expensive and bruising gubernatorial primary with a fellow Republican, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican who has embraced prosecutions against election fraud and other conservative causes, said Monday that he will seek reelection next year, dispelling speculation of a potential gubernatorial bid.

The open seat in Loudoun County is normally blue, but the stakes are high as Democrats defend their slim majority in the chamber.

Six Democrats and six Republicans are vying for Virginia’s Senate seat in the 32nd district, previously held by Democrat Suhas Subramanyam who vacated the seat when he won the election to the U.S. House of Representatives for Virginia's 10th congressional district.