Two recounts appear likely in tight Virginia House races

RICHMOND, Va. – Days aft Democrats conceded power of the Virginia House of Delegates to Republicans, they walked backmost that concession arsenic 2 cardinal races successful which the GOP holds razor-thin leads appeared headed for recounts.

As of Tuesday, ballot counts amusement Republicans with 50 seats and holding flimsy leads successful 2 further seats that person inactive not been called by The Associated Press. Democrats person 47 seats and are starring successful 1 different territory that has not been called.

In some districts wherever Republicans are leading, the margins are nether 0.5%, which allows candidates to petition state-funded recounts.

In District 91, Democrat incumbent Del. Martha Mugler conceded to Republican challenger A.C. Cordoza Friday. Mugler's concession was rapidly followed by a connection from Democratic House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, who acknowledged that with Mugler's concession, the Republicans had power of the House, with 51 seats.

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But Mugler walked backmost her concession implicit the play aft last absentee and provisional ballots were tallied and Hampton corrected an mistake successful its ballot count, shrinking Cordoza's pb to conscionable 94 votes retired of 27,388 votes counted.

In House District 85, Republican challenger Karen Greenhalgh's pb implicit Democratic incumbent Del. Alex Askew narrowed to conscionable 127 votes retired of 28,413 votes counted aft last absentee and provisional ballots were tallied.

Filler-Corn besides appeared to temper her concession.

“The speaker's stance is that determination are provisions successful spot to marque definite we tin beryllium definite what the outcomes are, and it's ever bully to check. We’re conscionable seeing what the result is going to be,” Filler-Corn spokesperson Sigalle Reshef said Tuesday.

Republicans, who celebrated past week aft flipping astatine slightest 5 Democratic-held seats to bring their full to astatine slightest 50 — giving them astatine slightest a necktie successful the House — said they are assured that they volition triumph some races that are present eligible for recounts.

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“Based connected past acquisition and our acquisition with observers connected the ground, we are assured we volition person 52 seats erstwhile the caller General Assembly convenes successful January," said Garren Shipley, a spokesperson for House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert.

Recounts successful Virginia are not automatic. Under authorities law, a campaigner cannot petition a recount until the results are officially certified by the authorities Board of Elections. The committee is scheduled to conscionable Nov. 15 to certify the results. Once that happens, Mugler and Askew volition person up to 10 days to record a petition successful tribunal requesting a recount. A “recount court” of 3 judges would past oversee the process. In 2017, erstwhile partisan power of the House came down to a pivotal Hampton Roads seat, the recount was not held until precocious December.

Kate Sarna, a spokesperson for the House Democratic caucus, declined to remark connected whether Mugler and Askew mean to question recounts.

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In a connection issued connected Saturday, Mugler said that successful airy of a “significant shift” successful the ballot number since the nighttime of the election, “we deliberation it omniscient to bash our owed diligence to marque definite each ballot is reasonably and accurately counted.”

“We volition let the process the afloat clip and effort it takes to guarantee accuracy,” she said.

On Nov. 2, Republicans flipped the Democratic-held offices of governor, lieutenant politician and lawyer wide successful a reddish surge. The authorities Senate has a slim 21-19 Democratic majority, with elections scheduled for 2023.

The Republican victories are seen successful portion arsenic a backlash against a bid of progressive reforms that the erstwhile Democratic bulk pushed done implicit the past 2 years, making Virginia an outlier successful the South. Those included repealing the decease penalty, loosening termination restrictions and legalizing marijuana.

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