Votes are being counted in a Virginia election that will determine which party controls the state legislature next year, and the results are neck and neck in several key races in Northern Virginia. The state is divided between the two parties, with the General Assembly currently divided and both parties vying for control in just a handful of competitive districts. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin has been campaigning for Republicans on the trail, and the results of this election will determine the direction the commonwealth takes on contentious issues such as abortion access, gun laws, and more.
The race includes a few districts in reliably-blue parts of Northern Virginia with key races including Senate District 31, District 27, and District 21 in Prince William County. Many of these races include incumbents, and in District 27, candidates from multiple parties are competing including an independent candidate who has been open about her past work as a stripper, throwing an interesting dynamic into the race. This election is the first general election under new district boundaries, which has made predicting the results more complicated as many incumbents are running in races with unfamiliar constituents. The results are still not official, and analysts say it could come down to a handful of tossup districts, with mail-in votes possibly determining which party will control the general assembly.
The political fight over abortion has been a significant theme in many of the key races, with Virginia as the only Southern state yet to put further restrictions on the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in June 2022. The outcome of this election could significantly impact legislation around this issue as well as the political future of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who has denied interest in running for President in 2024. Voter turnout was reported as approximately 23% to 35% of registered voters turning out in different areas of Virginia, and analysts believe it’s possible that voters won’t know which party will control the general assembly for a few days, as mail-in votes are counted in tight races.
