Democrats added at the least 10 seats within the Virginia Home of Delegates, constructing on the occasion’s wins within the high statewide elections and extra broadly throughout the nation, The Related Press projected.
The projections mark one other victory for Democrats, who additionally scored resounding wins within the state’s races for governor, lieutenant governor and legal professional common. The wins additionally come as state lawmakers had been seeking to push ahead redistricting efforts, a transfer that may not have been potential had Democrats been pushed from energy.
The Democratic Legislative Marketing campaign Committee touted the outcomes, saying that “Virginia Home Dems simply shattered expectations” and marked the occasion’s largest victory within the races in a long time.
“We invested early and aggressively to make this victory a actuality, working candidates in all 100 districts,” the DLCC mentioned in a publish on X.
State Sen. Lamont Bagby, the state occasion chair, mentioned in an announcement that “Virginians turned out in drive to help candidates who embody the easiest of who we’re — champions of equity and reality over the forces of bigotry and deceit.”
The projected state Home wins easy over Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s probabilities for advancing her agenda upon being sworn into workplace. Democrats Ghazala Hashmi and Jay Jones additionally gained races for the state’s lieutenant governor and legal professional common, respectively.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, blamed the GOP losses on the shutdown, which impacts hundreds of federal employees who dwell within the state.
“Virginia’s individuals are going with out paychecks. They’re nervous about mortgages and rents, they’re nervous about how they’re going to feed their households,” Youngkin, who’s term-limited, mentioned. “The problem of this authorities shutdown is actual, and I’m extremely understanding of that problem for all Virginians, and I believe it has, I believe it brought about fairly, fairly a turnout yesterday.”
Final week, state lawmakers handed a constitutional modification that marked step one in advancing their redistricting plans. The efforts require additional steps, which means that Democrats’ efforts might have been stymied had Republicans swept to energy Tuesday. Now, Democrats have a runway to proceed redistricting efforts because the combat continues in statehouses throughout the nation forward of subsequent yr’s midterm elections.
Virginia Democrats’ wins had been among the many many victories Democrats clinched Tuesday evening. In New Jersey, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill gained the governor’s race and in New York Metropolis, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani emerged the victor within the mayoral race. Voters in California additionally handed a redistricting poll measure often known as Prop 50, and Democrats preserved their margins on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court docket.
Democrats appeared to notch wins in lower-profile races throughout the nation.
In Georgia, two Democrats unseated Republicans on the state’s Public Service Fee, based on the Atlanta Journal-Structure. In Mississippi, Democrats flipped three legislative seats and broke the GOP Senate supermajority, based on the Mississippi Free Press.
In Erie County, Pennsylvania, a Democrat flipped the county govt seat, the Erie Instances-Information reported. President Donald Trump had narrowly gained the bellwether county in 2024.
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