by S. Rotan Hale
With all Roanoke City precincts reporting in Tuesday’s primary election, former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe won big garnering 62% of the vote (300,236) and becomes the state’s Democratic nominee for governor in the general election this fall.
Other statewide races, resulted in a win for Delegate Hala Ayala with 37% (175,057) in the lieutenant governor’s contest. Del Sam Rasoul trailed with 24% (113,680).
The bulk of Ayala’s support came from the Tidewater and Northern Virginia regions while Rasoul pulled from Southwest Virginia.
Ayala will face off against former Del. Winsome Sears who won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor last month. Sears, a former Marine is the first Black Republican woman to serve in the General Assembly after her election in 2001.
The winner will make history as the first woman and first woman of color in that position in Virginia.
With 57% (267,400) Mark Herring becomes Democrats attorney general nominee over challenger Jerrauld (Jay) Jones with 43% (204,459).
Antonio Hash with 54% (3,404) won the race for city sheriff, defeating LeMajors “Lee” Hill at 46% (2,920). Hash is a 13-year veteran of the sheriff’s department.
