× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

Republican Del. Nick Freitas told Virginia election officials Thursday that he was withdrawing as a candidate one day before the State Board of Elections was scheduled to decide how to handle his late campaign paperwork.

Deputy Elections Commissioner Jessica Bowman confirmed Thursday evening that her agency received a document from Freitas indicating he was ending his candidacy.

It’s not clear if Freitas, R-Culpeper, is giving up entirely.

A provision in state law allows parties to nominate a replacement, which could be Freitas or someone else, after the normal filing deadline if a candidate withdraws or dies. It’s not clear that tactic would hold up in court as a workaround for late paperwork. As they abandon the fight over the missed deadlines, Republicans may be hoping they have a better chance of convincing a court that Freitas was the party’s nominee, before withdrawing, even though the state didn’t officially certify him as such.