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ELECTION RESULTS

Democrats capture VA Senate, gain seats in House. See results of the Virginia Legislative Election.                                                                                                                                                

Virginia Legislative Election Results

General Election November 6, 2007

Democrats captured control of the Virginia Senate in Tuesday’s balloting, winning two key races in Northern Virginia and two in Hampton Roads. GOP incumbents Jeannemarie Devolites Davis and Jay O’Brien lost bids for reelection in Fairfax County; Nick Rerras was defeated in Tidewater, and conservative Democrat John Miller claimed the vacant Newport News seat held by Senator Marty Williams.

Democrats also gained four seats in the House of Delegates, ousting GOP incumbent John Welch in Virginia Beach and winning three open seats – those held by retiring incumbents Vince Callahan and Michelle McQuigg in Northern Virginia and Leo Wardrup in Virginia Beach. Republican Manoli Loupassi defeated Independent incumbent Katherine Waddell.

The attached file provides unofficial returns for all contested House and Senate races.

The Democratic gains reflect a divided electorate and provide further evidence that Virginia is a competitive, two-party state. Governor Tim Kaine celebrated the results as a boost to his agenda in the coming year, but observers say the shift in control of the Senate also portends a sharply divided and highly charged partisan atmosphere in the General Assembly.

Leadership posts and committee chairmanships in the Senate will now shift to a handful of senior Democrats. It is widely thought that Senator Dick Saslaw will become Senate Majority Leader and will likely chair the Commerce and Labor Committee. Among other key Senate committees, it is believed that veteran Democrat Chuck Colgan will chair Finance; Patsy Ticer is likely to chair Agriculture, Conservation & Natural Resources; Henry Marsh would be in line for Courts of Justice; and Edd Houck and Janet Howell would probably take over at General Laws & Technology, and Education & Health.

There was much at stake in Tuesday’s balloting, as both parties sought control of the Senate, Governor Kaine fought hard to increase support for his agenda, and the newly elected Senate will be in place for the next redistricting to follow the census of 2010.

Campaign spending shattered all previous records, with legislative candidates raising more than $60 million – double the amount of money they raised four years ago.