RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ House Speaker Kirk Cox has set a November date for a special election for a vacant state House seat. Cox announced Wednesday that the election to fill the spot in the Roanoke-area district will be held Nov. 6. That’s the same date as congressional elections. Republican Del. Greg Habeeb recently announced his decision to resign at the end of this month. His departure could imperil the GOP’s slim 51-49 majority in the House, but the district leans heavily Republican. President Donald Trump won the district by 30 percentage points. Political parties have until Aug. 17 to nominate candidates.
News release: Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox issued a writ of election Wednesday, setting November 6th, 2018 as the date for the Special Election in the 8th House District. The Special Election will coincide with the 2018 General Election. A copy of the writ can be found here. “With Delegate Habeeb’s resignation effective August 31, it is imperative that the citizens of the 8th House District have the earliest reasonable opportunity to elect a new Delegate,” said Speaker Cox. “Setting the Special Election to coincide with the upcoming General Election makes the most sense.” Cox added, “I want to thank Delegates Toscano and Herring for suggesting and working with us on selecting the date for this Special Election.”
Pursuant to § 24.2-510 of the Code of Virginia, the deadline for political parties to nominate candidates is Friday, August 17 at 5:00 p.m. All questions should be directed to the Virginia State Board of Elections at 1-800-552-9745. Ask for “special election information.”
