Democrats in Virginia preserved their majority within the state legislature late on Tuesday within the first statewide elections since Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November.
In particular elections for open seats, Kannan Srinivasan, a Democratic state consultant, defeated Republican Tumay Harding in a race for an open state senate seat in Loudon county, Virginia, simply exterior of Washington DC.
Democrat JJ Singh gained an open state home seat in the identical county, over Republican Ram Venkatachalam. Republicans held on to a state senate seat vacated by John McGuire, who gained a primary time period within the US Home of Representatives in November 2024.
The state Democrats have a slim 21-to-19 seat majority within the state senate and a 51-to-49 lead within the state home, making issues tough for the state’s Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, within the closing yr of his first time period in workplace. He flipped the governorship to Republican within the November 2021 election.
The outcomes may restrict Youngkin’s conservative agenda and provides Democrats a lift earlier than Trump is about to take workplace later this month. Democrats are in search of to move three constitutional amendments in Virginia this yr to codify abortion rights, same-sex marriage equality and the restoration of voting rights for Virginians after a felony conviction. These measures should move the state legislature previous to being positioned on the poll for voters later this yr.
In the meantime, Democratic congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, after serving three phrases representing Virginia’s seventh congressional district, is leaving workplace this month to start campaigning to problem Youngkin for the governorship this yr.
The race is basically seen as a referendum on Trump’s recognition within the first yr of his second time period in workplace, regardless that Spanberger in an exit interview performed down such a framing. Kamala Harris gained the state over Trump with 51.8% of the vote within the November election, regardless of shedding the White Home.
“If the nationwide media needs to opine and cherry-pick and select to understand issues by that nationwide lens, that’s their alternative,” she informed ABC7News in Washington DC. “However on the finish of the day, I’m operating for governor to serve Virginians and to serve the commonwealth that I like. And so my focus and my accountability is to run a race centered on Virginia.”
She mentioned she expects schooling and housing affordability to be defining marketing campaign points this yr. She gained nationwide workplace in a swing district and was a part of the cohort elected within the 2018 midterm election “blue wave” of Democratic wins in the course of the Trump administration. She additionally gained prominence for being a part of a small group of ladies coming into Congress who had served in nationwide safety roles, having been an operative within the CIA.
Republicans presently maintain a majority in 24 state legislatures across the US in contrast with 15 for Democrats, with the remaining state chambers cut up.
Supply hyperlink
