The election is not over yet. Two sitting members of the state Senate got new jobs in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday, which means at least two special elections.
One of the special elections for state Senate will be in Northern Virginia, where a handful of candidates are expected, including a sitting member of the House of Delegates and a controversial former progressive prosecutor. David Ramadan at George Mason's Schar School says the party's choice of a candidate here will be a key to victory.
"If the Democrats end up with a polarizing candidate, the Republicans could invest money into the seat and the governor might come in and spend enough money to get a Republican to win it in the special election general," he says.
The other Senate special election will be in the suburbs and exurbs between Richmond and Charlottesville. Wes Bellamy at Virginia State University says former state Senator Amanda Chase might be able to make a comeback here – despite being censured by the Senate in 2021.
"MAGA Republicans could see that as a badge of honor and say that she needs to be back in. And in other regards more quote-unquote ‘traditional’ Republicans could say that's an exact reason why she doesn't need to be in," Bellamy says. "With Trump being reelected, you just really never know."
Control of the chamber is at stake in the Senate, which currently has 21 Democrats and 19 Republicans.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
