Virginia State GOP Voids Lynchburg Primary Results

Voters in Lynchburg, Virginia, can expect a large slate of candidates for the three city council seats that will be on the ballot in November.

That’s because the Republican State Central Committee voted 55-17 to set aside the results of last month’s “firehouse primary” and declared that all interested candidates may file to be on the ballot as independents to run against the three Democrat nominees.

A “firehouse primary” is another term for a canvass—it means a nomination overseen by a party organization instead of a government body. A state law enacted two years ago generally bars such primaries.

“A political party may not select a nomination method that de facto requires covered voters to be physically present to participate or that otherwise has the practical effect of excluding their participation,” then Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares wrote after the law change in 2024.

There is a narrow exception in the case of special elections held to fill seats that come open during a term, such as when Rep. Gerry Connolly passed away in May 2025. He was replaced by James Walkinshaw, who was nominated through a firehouse process, as was Republican candidate Stewart Whitson.

Voters in Lynchburg had complained that they were forced to wait in a long line during the May 30 primary, and that they were told to declare fealty to the Republican Party before they could participate. “I had to pledge support for multiple years, for multiple elections, for federal elections,” voter Paul Arslain told NBC 10 News. “That’s not something that I could in good conscience say.”

In this case, the state GOP did more than simply set aside the results; it declared the Lynchburg Republican City Committee, which hosted the process, defunct.

“What that means in the terms of the party plan is it has been the determination of the state central committee that the Lynchburg Republican City Committee currently is not functioning,” said Jeff Ryer, the state party chair, according to a report by Cardinal News.

Ryer is expected to name replacements to lead the Lynchburg Republican City Committee by the end of the month.

One of the voided nominees had tough words for the state Republican Party.

“It is time for us, root and branch, to remove every person on the state-central committee that voted for this measure and replace them with people who actually work for the people instead of working for contracts that line their pockets,” Lynchburg Councilman Martin Misjuns told ABC13’s Hayden Robertson. “We don’t need political consultants representing Republican principles.”

The city of Lynchburg is expected to play a role in the race for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, now held by Republican John McGuire. Disorder in the GOP may boost Democrat efforts there.

This is the second time this year that a Virginia election has been voided. Last month, the state Supreme Court voted 4-3 to set aside a redistricting referendum that voters passed in April. That decision revolved around the definition of the “next general election” under Virginia’s constitution.

Democrat Attorney General Jay Jones had announced an investigation of Lynchburg’s firehouse primary, accusing the process used on May 30 of “effectively disenfranchising eligible active-duty soldiers, college students, and persons with disabilities.”

The state party’s decision to void the primary is likely to head off that probe.