Virginia's tenth state senate district is represented by Republican Senator Glen Sturtevant.

As of the 2011 redistricting, a total of 199,977 civilians reside within Virginia's tenth state senate district. Virginia state senators represent an average of 200,026 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 176,963 residents.

About the office

Members of the Virginia State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Virginia legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January after the election.

Qualifications

Senators must be at least 21 years of age at the time of the election, residents of the district they represent, and qualified to vote for members of the Virginia General Assembly.

Salaries

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the Virginia General Assembly, a special election must be conducted to fill the vacant seat. If the vacancy occurs while the legislature is in session, the presiding officer of the house in which the vacancy happens must call for a special election. If the vacancy occurs while the legislature is in recess, the governor shall call the special election. All special elections must be held promptly. However, no special election can be held if it occurs less than 55 days before any statewide primary or general election or if there are fewer than 75 days remaining in the vacated term.

Elections

2019

Elections for the Virginia State Senate took place in 2019. The primary was on June 11, 2019, and the general election was on November 5. The filing deadline for candidates was March 28, 2019.

No Republican candidates ran in the primary.

2015

Elections for the Virginia State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 9, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 26, 2015. Daniel Gecker defeated Emily Francis and Alex McMurtrie in the Democratic primary. Glen Sturtevant was unopposed in the Republican primary. Carl Loser (Libertarian) and Marleen Durfee (Independent) ran as third party candidates. Sturtevant defeated Gecker, Durfee and Loser in the general election.

Race snapshot

Gecker and Sturtevant served on the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors and the Richmond School Board, respectively. They sought to succeed outgoing incumbent John Watkins (R) in a race that analysts consider a tossup. Both candidates were considered to have bipartisan appeal, and Watkins was known for going against his party on occasion. District 10 was considered a swing district due to its inclusion of respective Democratic and Republican strongholds in urban Richmond and rural Powhatan, and a Republican lean in parts of suburban Chesterfield. Through September 2015, Sturtevant raised $772,000, while Gecker raised $1.2 million.

Following the August on-air shooting death of Roanoke television journalist Alison Parker and her cameraman, Adam Ward, a national gun control advocacy group sought to spend $700,000 in advertising in the open District 10 race in October. On October 21, television stations began airing "Condolences," a 30-second spot by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and featuring Parker's father, Andy. The group targeted Republican Glen Sturtevant, who in comparison raised about $56,000 from the National Rifle Association and $772,000 in total. According to Robert Holsworth of Virginia Commonwealth University, "For one group to put $700,000 into one-issue ads has to be unprecedented in state Senate races, particularly for a group from outside Virginia." The group said at least $370,000 would be spent on broadcast television before spending on cable, radio and digital advertising.

Sturtevant replied with his own advertisement, which referred to Bloomberg by name and expressed "support [for] zero tolerance for gun violence." A campaign press release said that the advertisement demonstrated "how dependent the desperate campaign of Democrat Dan Gecker now is on massive spending from an out-of-state billionaire."

Virginia State Senate, District 10 General Election, 2015

Virginia State Senate, District 10 Democratic Primary, 2015

2011

Elections for the office of Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 23, 2011, and a general election on November 8, 2011. Republican incumbent John Watkins defeated Democrat David Bernard in the general election. Both candidates were unopposed in the primary elections.

Virginia State Senate, District 10 General Election, 2011

Campaign contributions

From 2003 to 2011, candidates for Virginia State Senate District 10 raised a total of $760,593. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $190,148 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Virginia State Senate District 10