Virginia Democrats retain statehouse majority in key special elections
Virginia Democrats maintained control of the Statehouse on Tuesday after winning two critical special elections in Loudoun County, solidifying their majority in the state Senate and the House of Delegates.
Democratic Del. Kannan Srinivasan defeated Republican Tumay Harding to succeed Suhas Subramanyam, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November. Srinivasan’s win ensures the Democrats' narrow 20-18 edge in the Senate, as the party seeks to push forward its legislative priorities under Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s final year in office.
Meanwhile, in an overlapping House of Delegates district, Democrat JJ Singh prevailed over Republican Ram Venkatachalam.
Singh fills the seat left vacant by Srinivasan’s Senate run, preserving the Democrats’ slim 50-49 majority in the House.
Tuesday’s elections marked the first contests in Virginia since November’s presidential race, a loss for Democrats at the federal level that has heightened the stakes for control of state legislatures.
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Loudoun County special elections could shake up state legislature
Voters cast ballots in portions of Loudoun County for two special elections Tuesday. Early voting has happened for weeks.
Srinivasan, an Indian-American immigrant and the first of his heritage elected to the Virginia House of Delegates campaigned on protecting abortion rights. Singh, the son of Indian immigrants and a Loudoun County native, also made reproductive rights a focal point of his campaign in a county where Vice President Kamala Harris secured 57% of the vote in her failed bid against President-elect Donald Trump.
Their Republican opponents, Harding, the daughter of Turkish Uzbek immigrants, and Venkatachalam, an Indian-American immigrant, ran campaigns emphasizing parents’ rights, crime, and economic issues. Both had previously run unsuccessfully for seats on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in 2023.
RICHMOND, VA - JANUARY 10: A person walks past the Virginia State Capitol building on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 in Richmond, Va. (Photo by Minh Connors for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The results also draw attention to a central Goochland County race where Republican Luther Cifers faces Democrat Jack Trammell for a seat in the state House of Delegates.
The vacancy was created after Republican John McGuire won Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, narrowly defeating former U.S. Rep. Bob Good in a contentious primary last August.