The final makeup of Virginia’s state legislature is still unknown three months after the general election as a slew of appointments by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) triggers a domino effect of special races across the commonwealth.
While voters rush to fill gaps in representation in the middle of this year’s General Assembly, the reshuffling has drawn scrutiny to the Virginia law necessitating a lightning-fast turnaround for special elections.
Spanberger has appointed four officials from the state’s legislature to flank her administration. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi (D) gave up her own Senate seat to act as the state’s second-in-command.
Members of the state legislature cannot serve in another salaried state government position, so appointees must resign their seats before taking up the new position. That triggers an election to fill the vacancy. Under current Virginia law, sometimes candidates have less than a week to run a primary campaign and secure the party nomination.
That’s what happened when state Sen. Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria) announced his resignation Jan. 7 to serve as senior adviser to the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.
Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker (D-Alexandria), who currently serves in the House of Delegates, won the Democratic primary with 70.6 percent of the vote to run in Tuesday’s general election to fill Ebbin’s Senate seat.
Former delegate Mark Levine, who came in second place in the primary, criticized the current process. He said it gives too much leeway to political insiders with name recognition, and who could have a heads-up about an impending resignation — making it possible for resigning lawmakers to anoint their successor rather than give all candidates fair time to campaign.
He wants the law to change, and allow more time to campaign. “If we don’t shame the people who use this process and want it, then we’re never going to change it,” he said.
But longtime leadership and political strategist Julie Jakopic said while the current process isn’t perfect, it does work. Jakopic said the quick turnaround time keeps the number of vacant seats during the legislative session to a minimum, making sure voters’ voices are always heard. “These are not close races,” she said. “More time wasn’t gonna cure that.”
Here is a look at the special elections held or scheduled in recent months:
Senate District 15
Democrat Mike Jones won a Jan. 6 special election to fill Hashmi’s vacated Senate seat. He will represent the 15th Senate district, which includes large portions of Richmond and northern Chesterfield, for the remainder of the term expiring in January 2028.
Jones grabbed the victory with 70.75 percent of the vote, keeping the slim 21-19 Democratic majority in the Senate. He won over Republican nominee John Thomas.
Democrats were expected to hold the seat with a strong victory. Former vice president Kamala Harris won the district by 30 points in the 2024 presidential race.
After the election, Jones said in a statement he will “help Virginians thrive” by lowering the cost of living, creating more jobs and fully funding public schools. His campaign also supported increasing affordable housing options, access to health care and reproductive freedom.
Jones is a local pastor and founded a church, Village of Faith, in 2005. He previously served on the Richmond City Council for seven years before being elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.
In December, Jones vacated his seat representing the 77th House District to pursue the Senate seat, triggering another special election to fill his seat in the lower chamber.
House District 77
Democrat Charlie Schmidt won the election to fill Jones’s House seat and will serve through January 2028. The 77th House district covers parts of Chesterfield County and Richmond.
Schmidt beat Republican nominee Richard Stonage Jr. in a landslide, grabbing 79.93 percent of votes. His win will keep the seat Democratic and help maintain a healthy majority in the chamber.
Schmidt, a self-described progressive Democrat, previously worked as an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. “Throughout my life and legal career, I have worked to protect the vulnerable, seek justice, and ensure our government is accountable to the people,” Schmidt said on his campaign website.
His campaign focused on bolstering affordable housing, funding public education and supporting union workers.
House District 11
Democrat Gretchen Bulova will take over the House District 11 seat from her husband, David Bulova, who Spanberger appointed to be secretary of natural and historic resources.
Gretchen Bulova snagged 69.69 percent of the vote in a special election on Jan. 13, defeating Republican nominee Adam Wise to represent the city of Fairfax and parts of Fairfax County.
Her campaign spotlighted priorities like funding public education, transportation and environmental protections.
Gretchen Bulova has served as director of the Office of Historic Alexandria since 2019. She has also been chair of the Fairfax County History Commission since 2006, and was appointed by former governor Glenn Youngkin (R) to serve on a commission to commemorate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
House District 23
Democrat Margaret Franklin won the bid to represent House District 23, which covers part of Prince William and Stafford counties. She is replacing Candi Mundon King, whom Spanberger appointed as secretary of the commonwealth.
Franklin won 78.28 percent of the vote in the Jan. 13 election, boxing out Republican nominee Verndell Robinson. Franklin’s platform focused on affordable housing, expanding transportation access and safeguarding reproductive rights including abortion access.
She has served on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors since being elected in 2019. There, she led a successful effort to establish a child advocacy center to help connect child victims of abuse with professional intervention and support.
House District 17
Democrat Garrett McGuire is stepping into the House District 17 seat after winning a special election Jan. 20 to fill the spot left by Mark D. Sickles, who Spanberger tapped as her secretary of finance.
McGuire won 78.94 percent of the vote in a contest against Republican nominee Christopher Cardiff. He will represent part of Fairfax County, including Franconia and areas in Alexandria and Springfield.
Protecting public services, expanding housing options and expanding health care top McGuire’s list of priorities.
He is the regional director of external and legislative affairs for internet service provider AT&T, and also serves as chair of the board for United Community, a nonprofit that helps families in poverty.
Senate District 39
Voters will head to the polls Tuesday for the special election to fill Ebbin’s seat representing Alexandria and parts of Arlington and Fairfax counties. The race could help determine control of the Senate.
Bennett-Parker won the party-run primary. She has served in the House since 2022 and led efforts for a proposed constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights for felons who have completed their sentences. Her Senate campaign focuses on expanding voting and reproductive rights, expanding early-childhood education, modernizing infrastructure and environmental protection.
She will face Republican nominee Julie Robben Lineberry, a local Realtor and sole applicant for the party’s planned canvas. Lineberry has focused her campaign on lessening the power of Democrats in state office. Her campaign also promises to check one party rule, lower housing costs and increase affordability in the district.
House District 5
Bennett-Parker announced in January that she would vacate her House seat effective Feb. 18 in part, she said, to try to ensure a special election for her successor could be held on the same day as the contest for the Senate race. House District 5 is entirely in the city of Alexandria.
Republican nominee Mason Butler is running to increase affordable housing options and keep tax rates low. In a statement after securing the nomination, Butler said he wants to address the “skyrocketed” cost of living in Alexandria, and to bring back the two-party system.
“The Commonwealth is about to take a hard left turn in policy. Our politics is getting less diverse, and our leaders less accountable,” he said in the statement.
Butler, originally from Louisville, has lived in Alexandria for over a decade. He works as a federal contractor in the information technology sector.
On the Democratic ticket is Alexandria City Councilman Kirk McPike, who was first elected to the council in 2021. He has lived in Alexandria for 15 years.
In his campaign, McPike is promising to increase housing availability, promote green policies across the state and push back on federal policies targeting immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, women and unions.
McPike resigned his city council seat at the end of January, effective Monday. There will be a special election to fill that vacancy.
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