Say hello to election season.
Delegate Sally Hudson has announced on a campaign fundraising website that she will seek the nomination for the new Senate District that covers Albemarle, Amherst, Charlottesville, and Nelson.
“The best way to safeguard our future is to send innovative, energetic representatives to Richmond who remind voters every day why their state reps matter,” Hudson writes on the site.
Hudson’s main website also states she is seeking the seat.
Senator Creigh Deeds, who represents the obsolete 25th District, has moved to Charlottesville in order to run for the seat. This will likely mean a contested primary on June 20 next year.
If she wanted to stay in the House of Delegates, Hudson would have campaigned for House District 54, which covers all of Charlottesville and a portion of urbanized Albemarle County. This leaves the seat open.
Hudson ran for the open seat vacated by former Delegate and City Councilor David Toscano. Hudson defeated former City Councilor Kathy Galvin in the 2019 primary on a roughly two to one margin. She was unopposed in 2019 but defeated Republican Phil Hamilton on a four to one margin in 2021.
Deeds was first elected to the General Assembly in 1991 when he defeated an incumbent. According to his campaign website, he entered the Senate ten years later when winning a special election. He also ran for attorney general in 2005 and governor in 2009.
All 140 seats in the General Assembly are up for a vote in the November 7 general election. Democrats control the Senate with 21 seats to the Republicans’ 19. The Republicans control the House of Delegates with 52 seats to the Democrats’ 47.
House District 35 is currently vacant. Ted Keam resigned to join the Biden Administration. A special election will be held on January 10, one day before the General Assembly convenes for the 2023 session.
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Sure wish you would run against Bob Good instead of going after Deeds’ seat. His seniority will afford him good committee appointments which will take you a long time. We need a good challenger to Good and you would be perfect for that. So yes, I’m disappointed you’re running against one of my favorite senators, and it will be hard for me to support you.