Key Virginia candidates won primaries without majority support. Ranked choice voting can strengthen nominees.
On Tuesday, Virginia voters went to the polls to vote in congressional primaries. In crowded contests in the 7th and 10th Congressional Districts, no candidates received a majority of the vote; in the 10th District Democratic contest, Suhas Subramanyam was nominated with just 30%! Additionally, any voters who picked candidates other than the two finalists did not affect the final outcome – meaning their votes were effectively “wasted.”
In contrast, Arlington voters used ranked choice voting (RCV) in their county board primary, which delivers majority winners and gives voters backup choices to maximize the power of their vote. Similarly, Virginia Republicans have used RCV for state and congressional nominations to ensure nominees have broad support from the party – such as when they nominated their statewide ticket with RCV in 2021 and won their first statewide elections in over a decade.
Virginia political parties should embrace RCV in all primaries to strengthen their nominees, foster more civil campaigns, and solve the “spoiler” problem in crowded contests.
Virginia’s 10th Congressional District
In Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Jennifer Wexton is retiring due to health issues. The Democratic primary saw 12 candidates run, including seven current or former Virginia state legislators.
State Senator Suhas Subramanyam won with only 30% of the vote. The runner-up, State Delegate Dan Helmer, received 27%. 42% of voters cast a ballot for one of the other ten candidates – most of them likely had a preference between Subramanyam and Helmer, but they didn’t get a chance to weigh in.
| Candidate | Votes received | Share of the vote |
| Suhas Subramanyam | 13,063 | 30.40% |
| Dan Helmer | 11,496 | 26.70% |
| Atif Qarni | 4,560 | 10.60% |
| Eileen Filler-Corn | 4,009 | 9.30% |
| Jennifer Boysko | 3,908 | 9.10% |
| David Reid | 1,382 | 3.20% |
| Michelle-Ann Maldonado | 1,372 | 3.20% |
| Adrian Pokharel | 985 | 2.30% |
| Krystle Kaul | 952 | 2.20% |
| Travis Nembhard | 703 | 1.60% |
| Marion Devoe | 375 | 0.90% |
| Mark Leighton | 215 | 0.50% |
Moreover, the 10th District primary has been described as a “brawl” and “perhaps the ugliest primary of the 2024 election season so far,” with negativity and personal attacks taking center stage. When voters can only pick one, candidates have little incentive to appeal to voters who are supporting their rivals, and instead may try to deflate the “other side’s” turnout.
RCV changes those incentives and makes elections more positive. Candidates know they may need second- or third-choices from their opponents’ supporters to win, so they’re less likely to go on the attack. Surveys show that voters in RCV elections – including specifically in Virginia congressional primaries – are more satisfied with the tone of campaigns than voters in single-choice elections.
Virginia’s 7th Congressional District
Virginia’s 7th Congressional District is a swing seat, with incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger retiring to run for Governor in 2025. Seven candidates ran for the Democratic nomination, and six ran for the Republican nomination. Virginia’s single-choice voting system couldn’t accommodate giving voters so many options, and preliminary results suggest both primaries failed to nominate winners with majority support.
In the Democratic primary, Eugene Vindman leads with 49% of the vote, just shy of a majority. The runner-up received only 15% of the vote, meaning the other 36% of voters “wasted” their votes on a candidate not in the top two.
In the Republican primary, Derrick Anderson won with 45% of the vote. Anderson was backed by House GOP leaders including Speaker Mike Johnson. Cameron Hamiltion finished second with 37% of the vote. The 17% of voters who picked one of the other candidates didn’t have a voice in the decision between finalists. This was another nasty race – a Hamilton ad accused Anderson of fraud, leading Anderson to accuse Hamilton of defamation.
Virginia needs ranked choice voting
With RCV, voters could rank candidates in order of preference instead of trying to guess which candidates have the best chance of winning. Voters who rank a minor candidate first can still have a say in the final outcome.
It’s not just voters who benefit from RCV. Recent research finds that candidates nominated with majority support do better in general elections than candidates nominated with a minority of votes. That’s particularly relevant in the swing 7th District and the Democratic-leaning 10th District – both parties could improve their chances for the fall by using RCV in their primaries.
To support the RCV movement in Virginia, check out UpVote Virginia today!
