Around the state, the wave of primary contests included a Northern Virginia thriller in which the Senate’s top Democrat was almost unseated.

Sen. Richard L. “Dick” Saslaw, 79, of Fairfax County, ended up edging two women challengers by about 500 votes, even though the 43-year General Assembly veteran outspent his challengers 20-1 in his Northern Virginia contest.

In all, voters chose 16 nominees for the Senate seats and 19 nominees for House seats in clearing the way for the big November election battle for control of the General Assembly.

All 140 seats in the House of Delegates and state Senate will be up for election on Nov. 5. Currently, Republicans are clinging to a two-vote majority in both the House and the Senate.

There were four Senate and two House primaries in the Richmond area, including the 16th Senate District contest that Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey won.

The list of winners includes community college teacher and administrator Ghazala F. Hasmi. She won a three-way Democratic primary to challenge 10th District Republican Sen. Glen H. Sturtevant Jr. in November in the district that includes western parts of Richmond.

Amanda L. Pohl, an advocate for victims of sexual and domestic abuse, also won the right to carry the Democratic banner against controversial 11th Republican Sen. Amanda Chase in the largely Chesterfield County district.

And first-term Delegate Debra Rodman won her primary to be the Democratic challenger to 12th District Republican Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant in the Henrico-Hanover district.

Meanwhile, African-American business executive Garrison R. Coward won the Republican nomination to take on first-term incumbent Delegate Dawn Adams in the 68th House District that includes western sections of Richmond.

And Democrat Lindsey M. Dougherty, a Chesterfield budget analyst, will represent the party in challenging Republican Carrie Coyner, a Chesterfield School Board member, in the 62nd House District. Ms. Dougherty secured the nomination after squeaking past State Health Department employee Tavorise K. Marks in Tuesday’s voting. — JEREMY M. LAZARUS