The polls will open next Tuesday morning, August 23, at 6 a.m. to allow voters in Buckingham, Cumberland, Farmville, and Prince Edward to have their say in the Republican primary to select a candidate for November's election to fill the new 22nd District State Senate seat.

The winner will square off against former Lynchburg city councilman and vice-mayor, Bert Dodson, who will be the Democratic nominee.

Tuesday's primary is open to all registered voters.

The polls will close at 7 p.m.

Five names will appear on the ballot.

In alphabetical order, they are:

Brian Bates, member of the Buckingham County Board of Supervisors and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Longwood University and chair of the university's Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Studies.

Tom Garrett, Louisa County Commonwealth's Attorney.

Marke Peake, an attorney in Lynchburg.

Bryan Rhode, a Goochland resident and a prosecutor with the Commonwealth's Attorney's office in Richmond.

Claudia Tucker, a member of the Amherst County Board of Supervisors and Senior Director of State Government Affairs for Medco Health Solutions.

The newly-created 22nd Virginia State Senate district is comprised of Buckingham, Cumberland, Prince Edward, Amherst, Appomattox, Fluvanna, Goochland, along with part of Lynchburg and Louisa.

The 22nd District has no incumbent because this year's redistricting lines drawn by the Virginia General Assembly radically altered what had been a Roanoke-centered district.