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The Virginia Department of Elections has issued an order making the June 17 primary official for both of the major political parties, Democrat and Republican. We now know when filing starts in each case. 

Candidate filing for the June 17 primaries begins at noon on March 17 and ends on April 3 at 5 p.m. Candidates will file their Declarations of Candidacy, Petitions, and Filing Fee Receipts with their district and local +-Party Chairs. Statewide candidates are the exception here, as they file with the Virginia Department of Elections. 

Meanwhile, the filing window for Party Chairs to submit their ELECT-527 Certification of Primary Candidates form begins at 5:01 p.m. on April 3 and ends on April 8 at 5 pm. If only one or no candidate qualifies for a particular office, no primary will be held for that office. The one qualified candidate will automatically move on to the November General Election.

Textbooks open for viewing 

Charlotte County Public Schools is in the process of adopting Literature Textbooks for Central Middle School; grades sixth through eight for the 2025-2026 school year. These textbooks will be available for community review at the Charlotte County School Board Office from February 26 – March 5 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

After reviewing the information, any citizen with concerns about these textbooks can contact Mrs. Karen Thompson at 434-542-5151.

McGuire files Officer Safety Act 

Virginia 5th District Representative John McGuire co-sponsored a bill that’s going to the U.S. House floor for a vote this week. H.R. 35, the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, sets criminal and immigration penalties for anyone who intentionally flees a pursuing Border Patrol agent or law enforcement officer assisting Border Patrol. 

“We cannot support our border and keep Americans safe unless we support our law enforcement,” McGuire said. “At present, illegal aliens can cross our border, and even if they are caught, they can run away from police and disappear into our communities without consequence. But that stops now. We can now increase penalties for illegal aliens who try to run away from border patrol, and we can protect our communities.”