The battle for General Assembly seats is about to begin.

Early voting will launch this Friday, May 5, in contested primaries in Richmond and 65 other localities to allow voters to choose the party candidate to run in the general election in November for a seat in the state Senate or House of Delegates.

The battles for voter support will culminate with in-person voting on Tuesday, June 20, to decide who will represent the Democratic or Republican Party in the fall general election.

In Richmond, there are two Democratic primaries that will be open for early voting this week either by mail-in ballot or in-person balloting at the Richmond City Office of Elections, 2134 W. Laburnum Ave. This will be the only city site for early voting.

Most city voters will be able to participate in the nomination contest for the state 14th Senate District seat, which covers most of the city and part of Eastern Henrico County

State Sen. Lamont Bagby, who recently won a special election to gain a seat in the upper chamber, is seeking to win a full term in the new district, which, in the city, includes the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th council districts as well as a significant share of the 4th and 8th council districts.

A businessman, Sen. Bagby is facing off against challenger Katie Gooch, director of the Pace Center student ministry on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Separately, a three-way race is taking place for the nomination in the 79th House District, which runs from the North Side through the East End and into a portion of South Side.

Attorney Rae Cousins, City Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert and community advocate Richard Walker are vying for voter support in seeking the Democratic nomination.

Both primaries are winner-take-all, meaning whoever wins the primary is virtually guaranteed to win the seat in November as no Republican or independent candidates have filed to run in the general election in those districts.

There are other significant primary battles of interest that will be watched closely.

For example, former Richmond Delegate Delores L. McQuinn is facing a tough challenge from Terrance L. Walker, who is vying for the Democratic nomination in the 81st House District in Eastern Henrico.

In the Petersburg area, state Sen. Joseph D. Morrissey and former Delegate Lashrecse Aird are battling each other for the Democratic nomination in the 13th Senate District.

Another top Democratic contest is in the Hampton Roads area where Sen. Louise Lucas and Sen. Lionell Spruill Jr. are facing off in the 18th Senate District that covers Portsmouth and Chesapeake.

To request mail-in ballots: City Office of Elections, www. rva.gov, or vote.elections.virginia.gov.