Democrats in Virginia on Tuesday night retained their majority in the state Senate – a blow to Republicans hoping to regain full control of the state legislature and boost Gov. Glenn Youngkin in his final two years in office.
The GOP also lost control of the Virginia House of Representatives, with Democrats set to win at least 51 seats in the 100-member lower chamber.
Tuesday night represented the first good news for Democrats in the commonwealth since Youngkin upset former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2021, making gains in districts that had voted for President Biden 12 months earlier by running on issues like public safety and a greater role for parents in education.
The results also show the limits of Republican messaging on key issues ahead of next year’s presidential and congressional elections.
“We have empowered parents and provided tutoring to combat learning loss; make historic investments in law enforcement and mental health services; signed $5 billion in tax breaks and added 230,000 new jobs,” Youngkin declared in a Nov. 1 video announcement touting his administration’s successes.
Republicans missed their chance to gain full control of Virginia’s government, undermining Governor Glenn Youngkin.Getty Images
“Elect the Republican team to support me, and I promise we will do it,” he said.
Youngkin and Virginia Republicans have specifically pledged, if given both houses in the General Assembly, to pass a 15-week abortion ban with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.
Those hopes were dashed Tuesday night, when state GOP Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant lost her 16th District seat, while Juan Pablo Segura missed out on winning the open 31st District in another key state Senate race.
Next to House, Dels. Joshua Cole and Karen Greenhalgh lost their seats in the 65th and 91st Districts, respectively, while John Stirrup narrowly missed out on the Republican nomination in the 21st District.
A volunteer waits for voters looking for Democratic sample ballots in Virginia.REUTERS
In one of the most watched races of this election, Republican David Owen narrowly led the race for the delegate over Democrat Susanna Gibson early Wednesday.
Gibson appeared favored to defeat Owen in the 57th District before a live online sex show with her husband surfaced in September.
Democrats have touted Virginia as the only southern state to uphold its abortion-protecting laws, while accusing GOP candidates statewide of taking extreme positions on the issue, along with gun control and voting rights.
“What we’ve found over the last two years is that the jacket-wearing, friendly, basketball-playing dad is really a MAGA Extremist,” Virginia Democratic Party Chairwoman Susan Swecker told CNN, comparing Youngkin’s agenda to that of former President Donald Trump. .
Maryland Governor Wes Moore speaks at a rally for Virginia Representative Schuyler VanValkenburg.AP
“I’m confident that from going around the commonwealth, campaigning for our candidates, and talking to voters, there’s a lot of buyer’s remorse.”
Democratic campaign efforts include fundraisers and events led by high-profile Democrats such as House Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as well as radio ads narrated by former first lady Michelle Obama.
Biden, 80, also threw his weight into the race in a fundraising email from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, saying “the stakes have never been higher.”
“Governor Glenn Youngkin and extreme Republicans have made it clear that they are trying to bring our country back on issues like choice,” Biden said.
Tuesday night represented the first good news for Democrats in the commonwealth since Youngkin’s victory in 2021.AP
Democrats also have a fundraising edge in Virginia, raising $62 million for state Senate candidates and $48 million for House candidates this cycle, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.
Virginia Republicans raised about $41 million and $37 million for Senate and House of Representatives candidates.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
