Fitzgerald v. Alcorn

Michael F. Urbanski, Chief United States District Judge

Political parties in Virginia can nominate their candidates for general elections through various methods. For example, a party may use a primary election in which all registered voters are invited to participate, or it could hold a mass meeting in which party loyalists select a nominee. As a default rule, Virginia allows the party to select its preferred nomination method. However, state election law provides an exception to this rule that empowers certain incumbent officeholders to select their party's nomination method, even over the…