Virginia Democrats maintain narrow legislative majorities after special election wins

Democrats won a pair of special legislative elections in northern Virginia Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, allowing the party to maintain their narrow majorities in both chambers.

The special elections, both in districts in suburban Loudoun County, were the first to occur since President-elect Donald Trump won a second term last November. While Democrats were favored in the races, the results offered an early test of the political environment in Virginia, which is hosting a major gubernatorial race this year and where Republicans have made inroads in recent years.

In a special state Senate election, Democrat Kannan Srinivasan, currently a member of the state House, defeated Republican Tumay Harding. The seat had been vacant after state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam was elected to Congress in November. 

And in a special state House race, Democrat JJ Singh, a former Capitol Hill aide and small business owner, defeated Republican Ram Venkatachalam. That seat was left vacant after Srinivasan decided to run for the state Senate.

A third special election Tuesday in a state Senate district in the Richmond suburbs saw Republican Luther Cifers, who runs a kayak sales company, defeat Democrat Jack Trammell. The seat was left vacant when state Sen. John McGuire, who narrowly defeated U.S. Rep. Bob Good in a bitter Republican primary last year, was elected to Congress.

The candidates in all three races had been expected to win: Vice President Kamala Harris won the two Loudoun County districts comfortably while Trump easily carried the Richmond-area district last year, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. But special elections in off years, typically low-turnout affairs, can be unpredictable. Plus, voters had to deal with a winter storm that barreled the region this week.

After Srinivasan and Cifers take office, Democrats will hold a 21-19 majority in the state Senate. If Democrats had lost the special election for the Loudoun County seat, control of the chamber would have gone to the Republicans, because GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears holds tie-breaking authority. 

After Singh is sworn in, Democrats will maintain their 51-49 majority in the House of Delegates. A win by the Republican candidate would have resulted in a 50-50 tie.

In a statement, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee president Heather Williams, whose group helped both of the party’s candidates in the Loudoun County races, said “the decisive victories of Delegate-elect Singh and Senator-elect Srinivasan reinforce our Democratic majorities in Virginia and keep our critical firewall of Democratic state legislatures strong.”

Srinivasan and Singh both largely focused their races on partisan control of their chambers, reproductive rights and gun safety. Democratic lawmakers in Virginia have signaled that they’ll focus on advancing a constitutional amendment that would enshrine abortion rights.

The results will also have ramifications for the final year of Republican Gov. Glenn Younkgin's tenure and the race to succeed him.

With Democrats maintaining state legislative control, it could be more difficult for Youngkin to score any meaningful policy wins as he potentially lays the groundwork for a bid for higher office.

This November's Virginia governor's race will also be among one of the most closely watched contests in 2025. 

On the Republican side, Earle-Sears, the first Black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia, is the frontrunner. For the Democrats, Rep. Abigail Spanberger is currently the only declared candidate.