Election roundup

Yesterday was primary day across Virginia, with turnout at pitifully low levels. Among the results:

McEachin beats Lambert. Longtime Democratic Sen. Bennie Lambert of Richmond endorsed former U.S. Sen. George Allen last fall, and he paid for it last night. Trial lawyer Donald McEachin, the Dems’ 2001 nominee for Attorney General, gave up his House seat to challenge Lambert and bested him by a comfortable margin. Joe Morrissey, the former Richmond commonwealth’s attorney who has been disbarred, topped a five-candidate field for McEachin’s House seat. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has details.

Stosch survives. The T-D also reports that Senate Majority Leader Walter Stosch of Henrico County spent a whole lot of money to fight off a challenge from the right. Attorney Joe Blackburn made it close. Stosch spent almost a million dollars and garnered a 272-vote victory.

Williams, Bell don’t make it. Two other Republican senators weren’t so lucky. Sen. Marty Williams of Newport News lost to conservative GOP activist Patricia Stall, per The Daily Press. Out in Southwest Virginia, Sen. Brandon Bell was narrowly defeated by former Roanoke Mayor Ralph Smith, reports the Roanoke Times. Both incumbents had supported former Gov. Mark Warner’s tax reform package in 2004.

Another Stolle in politics. Chris Stolle, a physician and brother of Sen. Ken Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, won his primary race for the GOP nomination for a House seat, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

Joannou survives. Portsmouth Del. Johnny Joannou, the lone Democrat to oppose Warner’s tax package three years ago, faced a tough race from Henry Light, a retired Norfolk Southern lawyer. Warner endorsed the challenger, but as The Virginian-Pilot reports, Joannou prevailed.

Holtzman Vogel wins nod for Potts seat. Jill Holtzman Vogel, the former chief counsel to the Republican National Committee who now practices in Northern Virginia, will seek the seat of retiring Sen. H. Russell Potts Jr., after defeating restaurateur Mark Tate, who was indicted for election fraud last month. The Winchester Star has the story.