Virginia Democrats are celebrating and unpacking their big night on Election Day as part of a national repudiation of the Trump administration’s “chaos” and its inability to address the affordability crisis.
Democrats in Virginia flipped two out of three congressional districts they targeted, US Sen. Mark Warner cruised to reelection, and they passed three constitutional amendments related to civil rights.
“These results clearly, clearly show that Virginians and Americans across the country want something different than what they have seen in Congress, what they have seen certainly in this White House,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said on a virtual press call Wednesday. “They don’t want the chaos.”
Democratic victories in Virginia were part of a national trend that helped Democrats take control of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate.
Stephen Farnsworth, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Mary Washington, said the election results demonstrate that Republicans nationally and in Virginia have “a Donald Trump problem.”
“In many ways, Trump lost the thread,” Farnsworth said in an interview. “The Trump of 2024 was talking about economic insecurities and that he was going to do something about it. Had he done more to keep his promises, Republicans would have done better this week.”
David Aldridge, a progressive campaign strategist in Virginia, said Election Day was a huge, “awe-inspiring” win for Democrats. He said it was fueled by voter anger over complicated issues like the high cost of living, the Iran war, and data centers.
“There’s a lot of folks who are angry about the fact that everything just seems to be getting harder and crazier and more challenging to just put food on the table for their family and raise their kids,” Aldridge said in an interview.
2 out of 3
Virginia Democrats flipped two out of the three US House races they had targeted.
Democrat Shannon Taylor beat longtime incumbent Republican Rep. Rob Wittman by more than two points in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Wittman had yet to concede defeat in a race that The Associated Press had yet to call but Decision Desk HQ had.
“Today is a new day,” Taylor said in a victory speech before supporters in Henrico County last night. “Together we have won this campaign.”
Wittman has represented the 1st District since 2007, but it’s been a target for Democrats after redistricting in 2021 added parts of the Richmond suburbs to the district. Farnsworth said “suburban voters angry at the president” played a decisive role in Taylor’s victory.
“The changing nature of the Virginia electorate, and the unpopularity of the president really doomed Wittman’s reelection chances,” Farnsworth said.
Democrat Elaine Luria won back her old seat in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District with a nine-point victory in her rematch with fellow Navy veteran Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans.
“The status quo in Washington is not working and voters have shown that Hampton Roads is ready for change,” Luria said on social media last night.
Kiggans said on social media that she was proud of what she had accomplished since ousting Luria in 2022.
“While this isn’t the outcome we’d hoped for, I’m grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me these past four years,” Kiggans said.
5th District
In Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, Democrat Tom Perriello has not conceded defeat to Republican Rep. John McGuire, who is leading with 50% of the vote to Perriello’s 48%.
While McGuire has declared victory, Perriello said on social media last night that the race was too close to call. The Associated Press had yet to call the race, but Decision Desk HQ had called it for McGuire.
Lynlee Thorne, political director for Rural GroundGame, said that the close race in the 5th District and a Democratic sweep on the Lynchburg City Council were motivation to keep building on the Democratic gains in Virginia’s more rural congressional districts.
“We know good, serious public servants will be building credibility for the party and our goals long-term,” Thorne said before alluding to Virginia’s General Assembly elections in 2027. “We have an election in 362 days. Time to get back to work.”
Constitutional amendments
All three of Virginia’s constitutional amendments on the ballot passed by double-digit margins.
The right to an abortion will now be added to the Virginia Constitution. Virginia will get rid of its constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, and people who have served their time in prison will automatically have their voting rights restored.
State Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-Herndon) was the chief patron of the reproductive freedom constitutional amendment in the Virginia Senate. She said she was thrilled to see it get approved by voters.
“As we believed, the majority of Virginia voters believed that these most personal decisions belong with the individual and their provider, not politicians,” Boysko said in an interview. “That was the big thrill of the night for me.”
Central Virginia voter Melissa Early said it was exciting to be at Shannon Taylor’s watch party in Henrico County. Early, a registered nurse who works in behavioral health, said that excitement had turned to hope after last night’s election results.
“I have been living in a state of fear for almost two years as my country became more unrecognizable,” Early said. “When I woke up this morning, I felt hopeful for our nation’s future, and that was a beautiful thing.”
