Va. Senate’s McPike survives Democratic primary; two votes separate GOP race

The number of outstanding ballots in the Stafford portion of the blue-leaning 29th Senate District was thought to be too small for Guzman to overcome McPike’s lead — 6,320 to her 6,267.

Guzman could have requested a recount given the razor-thin margin but opted against doing so, drawing praise from other Democrats for not dragging the contest out.

State law allows the losing candidate to request a recount if the difference between them does not exceed 1 percent; the counties and cities involved pay for the recount if the difference is not more than 0.5 percent. Not counting the Stafford ballots, the margin between McPike and Guzman is 0.42 percent.

“Honorable move by … [Guzman] who had an impactful 6 years serving in the VA House of Delegates,” state Sen. Scott A. Surovell tweeted.

McPike tweeted thanks to Guzman for “a spirited primary, and for your work in the General Assembly,” adding, “Onward to November.”

The Republicans running in the district were not ready to turn their attention to the Nov. 7 general election, when all 40 seats in the Senate and all 100 in the House will be on the ballot.

The GOP primary between Navy veteran Nikki Rattray Baldwin and Maria Martin, a Bolivian immigrant, remained too close to call after Prince William officials tallied the 14 mail-in and provisional ballots in their contest. Each candidate picked up seven votes, putting Baldwin up — 2,605 to Martin’s 2,603.

An unusual number of Senate incumbents faced well-funded primary challengers this year on redrawn legislative maps that forced many to run on largely new territory. Five senators lost their primaries — Republican Amanda F. Chase (R-Chesterfield) and Democrats Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax City), George L. Barker (D-Fairfax), Joseph D. Morrissey (D-Richmond) and Lionell Spruill Sr. (D-Chesapeake).

Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) and Sen. David W. Marsden (D-Fairfax) also faced tough challenges but, like McPike, prevailed.

Most of the Democratic primaries pitted veteran legislators against significantly younger, more vocally liberal rivals who claimed to be more in step with the party base. The McPike-Guzman matchup was the exception.

McPike was a relative newcomer to the Senate, having arrived in 2016. He billed himself as one of its most liberal members. And at 47, he is younger than Guzman, 50, a Peruvian immigrant who joined the House in 2018 and also counts herself as a champion of liberal causes. She set her sights on the Senate after the new maps put her in a House district with a powerful Black Democrat.

“Fighting for working families and our progressive values in the House of Delegates has been the honor of my life, and I am proud of all we have accomplished together,” Guzman said in a written statement. “I am grateful for the more than 6,000 people who voted for me, and I ask them to back Senator McPike in November.”