DeSantis joins Ramaswamy, Christie in filing early to be on Virginia’s GOP primary ballot

Presidential politics are ramping up in Virginia as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis filed petition signatures Thursday to appear on the state’s GOP primary ballot next year, joining fellow early filers Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Polls show former President Donald Trump dominating the Republican field, and some longshot candidates have already started to drop out. However, candidates keeping their hopes alive are starting to come up against state filing deadlines that have to be met well before voting begins.

Virginia’s presidential primary isn’t until March 5, but the deadline for primary candidates to file 5,000 petition signatures in the state is Dec. 14.

The first flurries of presidential activity demonstrate the calendar problem for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who hasn’t fully closed the door on the possibility of entering the race late as another potential alternative to the GOP’s polarizing frontrunner.

Youngkin has indicated he’s waiting until after next month’s high-stakes General Assembly elections before saying anything definitive about aspirations for higher office. But he’d have to file paperwork with the Virginia Department of Elections within about five weeks of the General Assembly contests in order to qualify for the primary ballot in his own state.

State officials said Thursday that Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur, filed his Virginia petition signatures on Aug. 15. Christie submitted his petitions on Oct. 4.

Virginia’s presidential ballot requirements are fairly steep compared to other states. To qualify for the primary, candidates must submit signatures of 5,000 registered Virginia voters, including at least 200 signatures from each of the state’s 11 congressional districts.

Because some people who sign candidate petitions don’t turn out to be qualified voters, Virginia officials recommend that candidates gather at least 7,500 signatures, with at least 300 from each congressional district.

Voting in the Republican primary will begin with the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15. The race could change significantly before Super Tuesday in early March, when Virginia will be one of about a dozen states conducting primaries.

Filing signatures with the state elections department doesn’t guarantee a candidate will make the ballot or will still be in the race by the time Virginians vote.

Under Virginia’s process, the Republican Party of Virginia will check the veracity of the petition signatures and send the state a list of qualified candidates by Dec. 19.

Early voting in Virginia’s presidential primary starts Jan. 19.