A series of special elections will determine which party controls the state Senate.
In Loudoun County, Democrat Kannnan Srinivasan will face Republican Tumay Harding in Senate District 32. And in suburban Richmond and Central Virginia, Democrat Jack Trammell will face Republican Luther Cifers in Senate District 10.
"I know people may be tired of politics after this presidential election cycle, but these elections really matter whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican," says Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School at George Mason University. "It's important to pay attention because these could actually determine which party controls the legislative chambers."
J. Miles Coleman at the UVA Center for Politics says the low turnout in special elections means that people can expect the unexpected. As an example, he pointed to the special election when Jennifer McClellan was elected to Congress.
"She carried Dinwiddie County in Southside, which you would never see a Democrat win that now in a regular election. But just because the turnout patterns were so different," Coleman says. "That's the type of stuff that happens."
In addition to the two special elections in the Senate, voters in Loudoun will also be voting for a candidate for the House of Delegates, although that election will not determine control of the chamber like the high-stakes special elections in the Senate.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
