Democrats added at least 10 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates, building on the party’s wins in the top statewide elections and more broadly across the country, The Associated Press projected.
The projections mark another victory for Democrats, who also scored resounding wins in the state’s races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. The wins also come as state lawmakers were looking to push forward redistricting efforts, a move that would not have been possible had Democrats been pushed from power.
The win puts Democrats on track to gain control of more than 60 seats and expand their narrow majority in the chamber.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee touted the results, saying that “Virginia House Dems just shattered expectations” and marked the party’s largest victory in the races in decades.
“We invested early and aggressively to make this victory a reality, running candidates in all 100 districts,” the DLCC said in a post on X.
State Sen. Lamont Bagby, the state party chair, said in a statement that “Virginians turned out in force to support candidates who embody the very best of who we are — champions of fairness and truth over the forces of bigotry and deceit.”
The projected state House wins smooth over Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s chances for advancing her agenda upon being sworn into office. Democrats Ghazala Hashmi and Jay Jones also won races for the state’s lieutenant governor and attorney general, respectively.
But it also could prove indicative of Democrats’ fortunes in the midterms, party strategists said.
How the party out of power performs in Virginia’s off-year legislative races has in recent cycles — including 2009 Republican gains that preceded the Tea Party wins of 2010 and the Democrats’ wins in 2017 that foretold the 2018 midterms — been predictive of how that party performs in the following year’s midterm elections.
“Virginia’s House of Delegates races are like a thermostat for how people are seeing the two parties — and defeating this many Republican incumbents is a solid indicator that voters are feeling pain and know who to blame,” said Jesse Ferguson, a Democratic strategist and Virginia campaign veteran.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, blamed the GOP losses on the shutdown, which affects thousands of federal workers who live in the state.
“Virginia’s people are going without paychecks. They’re worried about mortgages and rents, they’re worried about how they’re going to feed their families,” Youngkin, who is term-limited, said. “The challenge of this government shutdown is real, and I am incredibly understanding of that challenge for all Virginians, and I think it has, I think it caused quite, quite a turnout yesterday.”
Last week, state lawmakers passed a constitutional amendment that marked the first step in advancing their redistricting plans. The efforts require further steps, meaning that Democrats’ efforts could have been stymied had Republicans swept to power Tuesday. Now, Democrats have a runway to continue redistricting efforts as the fight continues in statehouses across the country ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Virginia Democrats’ wins were among the many victories Democrats clinched Tuesday night. In New Jersey, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the governor’s race and in New York City, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani emerged the victor in the mayoral race. Voters in California also passed a redistricting ballot measure known as Prop 50, and Democrats preserved their margins on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Democrats appeared to notch wins in lower-profile races across the country.
In Georgia, two Democrats unseated Republicans on the state’s Public Service Commission, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In Mississippi, Democrats flipped three legislative seats and broke the GOP Senate supermajority, according to the Mississippi Free Press.
In Erie County, Pennsylvania, a Democrat flipped the county executive seat, the Erie Times-News reported. President Donald Trump had narrowly won the bellwether county in 2024.
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