Following last week’s “firehouse primaries” in the race to fill a critical open seat in the tightly divided U.S. House of Representatives, the Virginia Democratic and Republican parties have chosen their nominees for a Sept. 9 special election.

Republican nominee Stewart Whitson, an Army combat veteran and former FBI special agent, will face Democratic nominee James Walkinshaw, who previously served as chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. Connolly’s death in May left open a seat that was long held by Democrats.

Whitson kicked off his campaign June 12 and secured over 1,000 votes to win the Republican primary, with runner-up Karina Lipsman coming........

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