Republicans win at least 50 House seats in Virginia

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GLEN ALLEN, Va. – Republicans person won astatine slightest 50 seats successful the Virginia House, ensuring astatine slightest a necktie with Democrats who had fought to clasp control.

Several races were inactive excessively aboriginal to call, but the GOP besides declared triumph successful immoderate of those, with enactment leaders saying they were assured they had flipped power of the House.

The Republican gains are portion of a seismic triumph for the GOP successful Virginia, arsenic Republican businessman Glenn Youngkin captured the governor’s office,Republican Winsome Sears won the lieutenant governor’s race, and Republican Jason Miyares won the lawyer general's seat.

Youngkin defeated erstwhile Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Sears bushed Democrat Hala Ayala and Miyares denied two-time Democratic incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring a 3rd term. Sears volition go the state’s archetypal pistillate lieutenant politician and the archetypal pistillate of colour to triumph statewide bureau successful Virginia.

Tuesday’s predetermination was seen arsenic a referendum connected a bid of progressive reforms that Democrats person enacted implicit the past 2 years, including the repeal of the decease penalty, the legalization of marijuana, a loosening of termination restrictions and a bid of constabulary reforms.

Otto Wachsmann, a Republican who defeated Democratic incumbent Roslyn Tyler successful the 75th District, said helium believes the beardown showing by Republicans successful portion represents a backlash against a Democratic enactment that helium says has moved excessively acold to the near successful once-conservative Virginia.

“The mean idiosyncratic wasn’t satisfied with that; they were looking for a dependable of reason,” Wachsmann said.

Every Republican House incumbent won reelection, including 8 whose seats were uncontested. The enactment flipped astatine slightest 5 Democratic seats, including those successful 2 of the past remaining districts held by Democrats successful predominantly agrarian districts.

A astonishment triumph by Republican Kim Taylor implicit three-term incumbent Democratic Del. Lashrecse Aird successful the 63rd District gave Republicans their 50th seat. Aird claimed triumph precocious Tuesday, but a precocious surge by Taylor gave her a 741-vote win.

Garren Shipley, a spokesperson for House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert, said Republicans judge they person flipped respective seats successful races wherever ballot tallies amusement the 2 candidates highly close, including successful District 85 successful Virginia Beach, wherever Democratic Del. Alex Askew was up of Republican challenger Karen Greenhalgh by little than 100 votes.

Gilbert said successful a connection Wednesday that Republicans judge Greenhalgh has won the contention by much than 200 votes.

“We are precise assured that determination volition beryllium 52 Republicans seated erstwhile the House convenes successful January,” Shipley said.

House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn acknowledged that the results were not what Democrats were hoping for but said determination are inactive respective choky races “that volition find the majority” arsenic votes proceed to beryllium counted. The authorities Department of Elections has said that ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 volition beryllium counted done noon connected Friday.

“We are going to marque definite each Virginian’s dependable is heard and each ballot is counted,” Filler-Corn said successful a statement.

Democrats held a 55-45 bulk heading into Tuesday’s election, but Republicans waged an assertive run to flip up to 13 seats held by Democrats whom they considered vulnerable. The GOP needs to flip astatine slightest six seats to regain the bulk the enactment mislaid successful 2019. Democrats inactive clasp a slim 21-19 bulk implicit Republicans successful the Senate. Senators are not up for reelection until 2023.

Republicans had controlled the House since 2000, but Democrats won backmost 15 GOP-held seats successful 2017, helped by elector hostility toward then-President Donald Trump. In 2019, Democrats took afloat power of the legislature by wiping retired slim Republican majorities successful the House and Senate.

In different choky House races this year, two-term Democratic incumbent Chris Hurst mislaid to Republican challenger Jason Ballard successful the 12th District and first-term Democratic Del. Joshua Cole was defeated by Republican challenger Tara Durant successful the 28th District, which includes the metropolis of Fredericksburg and parts of Stafford County.

In District 83, which includes parts of the cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Republican challenger Tim Anderson, an lawyer and weapon store owner, ousted Democratic incumbent Nancy Guy.

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Associated Press writer Sarah Rankin successful Richmond, Virginia, contributed to this report.

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