The Virginia state flag and the American flag fly near the Virginia State Capitol.
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Democrats won two special legislative elections in northern Virginia on Tuesday, giving the party slim majorities in the House and Senate, the Associated Press reported.
The special elections, both held in precincts in suburban Loudoun County, are the first since President-elect Donald Trump won his second term in November. While Democrats are favored, the results provide an early test of the political environment in Virginia, which is hosting a key gubernatorial race this year and where Republicans have made gains in recent years.
In a special state Senate election, Democrat Kannan Srinivasan, now a member of the state House of Representatives, defeated Republican Toomey Harding. The seat has been lying vacant since Senator Suhas Subramanyam was elected to Parliament in November.
In a special House race, Democrat JJ Singh, a former Capitol aide and small business owner, defeated Republican Ram Venkatachalam. The seat became vacant after Srinivasan decided to run for state Senate.
Republican Luther Sievers, who runs a kayak sales company, defeated Democrat Jack Trammell in a third special election in a Senate district west of Richmond on Tuesday. The seat became vacant when Sen. John McGuire narrowly defeated U.S. Rep. Bob Good. Bitter Republican primary Last year, he was elected to Congress.
Candidates in all three races are predicted to win: Vice President Kamala Harris handily won two Loudoun County precincts, while Trump handily won the Richmond-area precinct last year. Virginia Public Access Project.
But special elections in the off-season typically have low turnout and therefore can be difficult to predict. Additionally, voters must contend with the winter storm that swept through the region this week.
With Srinivasan and Sievers taking office, Democrats will have a 21-19 majority in the state Senate. If Democrats lose the special election for the Loudoun County seat, control of the House would fall to Republicans because Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earl-Sears has tie-breaking power.
After Singer is sworn in, the Democrats will maintain a 51-49 majority in the House of Representatives. If the Republican candidate wins, the score will be a 50-50 tie.
“The decisive victories for Representative-elect Singh and Senator-elect Srinivasan solidify our Democratic majority in Virginia,” Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Chairwoman Heather Williams said in a statement. , and maintained the Democratic majority in the Loudoun County race.
Both Srinivasan and Singh focused their campaigns on party control of the House, reproductive rights and gun safety. Virginia Democratic lawmakers have said they will focus on Promote constitutional amendments This would enshrine the right to abortion.
The election results will also have implications for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s final year in office and his race to succeed him.
As Democrats maintain control of state legislation, it may be harder for Youngkin to score any meaningful policy wins because he may Compete for higher positions.
This November’s Virginia gubernatorial race will also be one of the most closely watched races in 2025.
On the Republican side, Earle Sears, the first black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia, is the front-runner. For Democrats, U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is the only announced candidate.
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