Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2019
- Primary: June 11
- General election: Nov. 5
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 15
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 2
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
2019 Virginia House Elections | |
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General | November 5, 2019 |
Past Election Results |
2017・2015・2013 2011・2009・2007 |
2019 Elections | |
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Choose a chamber below: | |
Democrats gained control of the Virginia House of Delegates on November 5, 2019. Democrats won a 55-45 majority. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 51-49 majority. All 100 seats were up for election.[1]
Democrats picked up Districts 28, 40, 76, 83, 91, and 94. They defeated four Republican incumbents: Tim Hugo (HD-40), Chris Jones (HD-76), Christopher Stolle (HD-83), and David Yancey (HD-94). Races in the other two districts were open as Robert Thomas Jr. (HD-28) and Gordon Helsel (HD-91) did not seek re-election.
Ballotpedia identified 27 battleground races that would determine who controlled the chamber after the election. Click here to read about those races.
The elections determined control of Virginia’s government heading into congressional and state legislative redistricting after the 2020 Census.[2] Because Democrats won both chambers of the legislature, they had a trifecta—control of the state legislature and the governorship—during redistricting. Gov. Northam served through 2021 and could veto new maps.
In addition to the 49 seats Democrats won in the 2017 elections, there were 11 districts that Gov. Ralph Northam (D) won in the gubernatorial election that had a Republican incumbent heading into the 2019 elections. There were no districts where the inverse was true (districts won by Republican Ed Gillespie and held by a Democratic delegate). To read more about the gubernatorial results by house district, click here.
"Beyond the Headlines: Virginia's 2019 elections" |
Following a shooting in Virginia Beach that killed 12 people on May 31, gun policy became a prominent issue in this election. An October 2019 poll by The Washington Post found that gun policy was the top issue for those voting in the election.[3] Everytown for Gun Safety and the National Rifle Association each gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to campaigns across the state.[4] Gov. Northam called a special session to consider gun legislation, which the legislature adjourned after two hours without considering any legislation. Republican leaders called the move an "election-year stunt" by Northam, while the Virginia Democratic Party said in a statement it would "make sure on November 5th that [Republicans'] 90 minutes on the floor [were] their last 90 minutes in the majority."[5]
Ahead of the election, the The Washington Post wrote, "If Democrats win the House and Senate, the party will control every lever of state power for the first time in 25 years. Many long-stymied Democratic goals — to restrict guns, expand gay rights, loosen restrictions on abortion and raise the minimum wage, to name a few — would probably become law."[6] The elections in Virginia also attracted national attention because they "could offer clues on party strength in suburban swing districts for next year's presidential election," according to The Wall Street Journal.[7]
In 2017, Virginia Democrats flipped 15 Republican-held House of Delegates seats—their largest gains in the chamber since 1899.[8]
The primary was on June 11, 2019, and the filing deadline for candidates was March 28, 2019. The Virginia House of Delegates was one of seven state legislative chambers with regular elections in 2019. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Virginia primary voter? Dates you need to know. | |
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Candidate Filing Deadline | March 28, 2019 |
Primary Election Registration Deadline | May 20, 2019 |
Primary Election | June 11, 2019 |
General Election Registration Deadline | October 15, 2019 |
General Election | November 5, 2019 |
Voting information | |
Primary Type | Hybrid |
Photo ID? | Yes |
Polling place hours | 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
Click here to read more about the 2019 Virginia State Senate elections.
Click here to read more about the 2019 Virginia Democratic state legislative primaries.
Click here to read more about the 2019 Virginia Republican state legislative primaries.
Click here to read more about the 2017 Virginia House of Delegates elections.
Candidates
The candidate lists below are based on candidate filing lists provided by the Virginia Department of Elections. (I) denotes an incumbent.[9][10][11]
Incumbents retiring
Twelve incumbents did not run for re-election in 2019.[12] Those incumbents were:
Retiring incumbents | ||
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Name | Party | Office |
Todd E. Pillion | Republican | House District 4 |
Richard Bell | Republican | House District 20 |
T. Scott Garrett | Republican | House District 23 |
Steve Landes | Republican | House District 25 |
David Toscano | Democratic | House District 57 |
Riley Ingram | Republican | House District 62 |
Debra Rodman | Democratic | House District 73 |
Matthew James | Democratic | House District 80 |
Cheryl Turpin | Democratic | House District 85 |
John Bell | Democratic | House District 87 |
Gordon Helsel | Republican | House District 91 |
Brenda Pogge | Republican | House District 96 |
The 2019 elections had the most open seats since 2011, when 14 seats were open.
Open Seats in the Virginia House of Delegates: 2011 - 2019 | |||
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Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
2019 | 100 | 12 (13 percent) | 87 (87 percent) |
2017 | 100 | 7 (7 percent) | 93 (93 percent) |
2015 | 100 | 9 (9 percent) | 91 (91 percent) |
2013 | 100 | 9 (9 percent) | 91 (91 percent) |
2011 | 100 | 14 (14 percent) | 86 (86 percent) |
General election candidates
Virginia House of Delegates general election candidates |
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Office | Democratic | Republican | Other |
District 1 |
Terry Kilgore (i) |
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District 2 |
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District 3 |
Will Morefield (i) |
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District 4 |
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District 5 |
Israel O'Quinn (i) |
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District 6 |
Jeffrey Campbell (i) |
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District 7 |
Did not make the ballot: |
Larry Rush (i) |
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District 8 |
Joseph McNamara (i) |
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District 9 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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District 10 |
Wendy Gooditis (i) |
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District 11 |
Sam Rasoul (i) |
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District 12 |
Chris Hurst (i) |
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District 13 |
Danica Roem (i) |
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District 14 |
Danny Marshall (i) |
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District 15 |
Todd Gilbert (i) |
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District 16 |
Les Adams (i) |
Dustin Evans (Libertarian Party) |
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District 17 |
Chris Head (i) |
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District 18 |
Michael Webert (i) |
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District 19 |
Terry Austin (i) |
Did not make the ballot: |
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District 20 |
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District 21 |
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District 22 |
Kathy Byron (i) |
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District 23 |
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District 24 |
Ronnie Campbell (i) |
Billy Eli Fishpaw (Independent) |
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District 25 |
Janice Allen (Independent) |
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District 26 |
Tony Wilt (i) |
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District 27 |
Roxann Robinson (i) |
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District 28 |
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District 29 |
Chris Collins (i) |
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District 30 |
Nick Freitas (i) (Write-in) Did not make the ballot: |
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District 31 |
Elizabeth Guzman (i) |
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District 32 |
David Reid (i) |
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District 33 |
Dave LaRock (i) |
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District 34 |
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District 35 |
Mark Keam (i) |
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District 36 |
Ken Plum (i) |
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District 37 |
David Bulova (i) |
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District 38 |
Kaye Kory (i) |
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District 39 |
Vivian Watts (i) |
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District 40 |
Tim Hugo (i) |
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District 41 |
Rachel Mace (Libertarian Party) |
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District 42 |
Kathy Tran (i) |
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District 43 |
Mark Sickles (i) |
Gail Parker (Independent Green Party of Virginia) |
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District 44 |
Paul Krizek (i) |
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District 45 |
Mark Levine (i) |
Did not make the ballot: |
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District 46 |
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District 47 |
Patrick Hope (i) |
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District 48 |
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District 49 |
Alfonso Lopez (i) |
Terry Modglin (Independent) |
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District 50 |
Lee Carter (i) |
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District 51 |
Hala Ayala (i) |
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District 52 |
Luke Torian (i) |
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District 53 |
Marcus Simon (i) |
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District 54 |
Bobby Orrock (i) |
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District 55 |
Buddy Fowler (i) |
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District 56 |
John McGuire (i) |
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District 57 |
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District 58 |
Rob Bell (i) |
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District 59 |
Matt Fariss (i) |
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District 60 |
James Edmunds II (i) |
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District 61 |
Tommy Wright (i) |
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District 62 |
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District 63 |
Lashrecse Aird (i) |
Larry Haake (Independent) |
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District 64 |
Emily Jordan (i) |
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District 65 |
Lee Ware (i) |
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District 66 |
Kirk Cox (i) |
Linnard Harris Sr. (Independent) |
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District 67 |
Karrie Delaney (i) |
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District 68 |
Dawn Adams (i) |
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District 69 |
Betsy Carr (i) |
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District 70 |
Delores McQuinn (i) |
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District 71 |
Jeff Bourne (i) |
Pete Wells (Libertarian Party) |
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District 72 |
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District 73 |
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District 74 |
Lamont Bagby (i) |
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District 75 |
Roz Tyler (i) |
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District 76 |
Chris Jones (i) |
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District 77 |
Cliff Hayes (i) |
Did not make the ballot: |
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District 78 |
Jay Leftwich (i) |
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District 79 |
Steve Heretick (i) |
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District 80 |
Did not make the ballot: |
Ryan Collin Benton (Independent) |
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District 81 |
Barry Knight (i) |
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District 82 |
Jason Miyares (i) |
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District 83 |
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District 84 |
Glenn Davis (i) |
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District 85 |
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District 86 |
Ibraheem Samirah (i) |
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District 87 |
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District 88 |
Mark Cole (i) |
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District 89 |
Jerrauld Jones (i) |
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District 90 |
Joseph Lindsey (i) |
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District 91 |
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District 92 |
Jeion Ward (i) |
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District 93 |
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District 94 |
David Yancey (i) |
Michael Bartley (Libertarian Party) |
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District 95 |
Marcia Price (i) |
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District 96 |
James Jobe (Libertarian Party) |
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District 97 |
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District 98 |
Keith Hodges (i) |
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District 99 |
Margaret Ransone (i) |
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District 100 |
Robert Bloxom (i) |
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Primary candidates
Virginia House of Delegates primary candidates |
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Office | Democratic | Republican | Other |
District 1 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 2 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 3 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 4 |
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District 5 |
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District 6 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 7 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 8 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 9 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 10 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 11 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 12 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 13 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 14 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 15 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 16 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 17 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 18 |
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District 19 | |||
District 20 |
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District 21 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 22 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 23 |
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District 24 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 25 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 26 |
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District 27 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 28 |
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District 29 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 30 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 31 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 32 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 33 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 34 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 35 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 36 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 37 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 38 |
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District 39 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 40 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 41 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 42 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 43 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 44 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 45 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 46 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 47 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 48 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 49 |
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District 50 |
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District 51 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 52 |
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District 53 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 54 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 55 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 56 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 57 |
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District 58 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 59 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 60 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 61 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 62 |
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District 63 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 64 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 65 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 66 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 67 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 68 |
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District 69 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 70 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 71 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 72 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 73 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 74 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 75 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 76 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 77 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 78 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 79 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 80 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 81 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 82 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 83 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 84 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 85 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 86 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 87 |
Hassan Ahmad |
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District 88 |
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District 89 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 90 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 91 |
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District 92 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 93 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 94 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 95 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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District 96 |
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District 97 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 98 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 99 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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District 100 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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Seats flipped
The map below displays each seat in the Virginia House of Delegates that changed partisan hands as a result of the 2019 elections, shaded according to the partisan affiliation of the winner in 2019. Hover over a shaded district for more information.
State legislative seats flipped in 2019, Virginia House of Delegates | |||
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District | Incumbent | 2019 winner | Direction of flip |
Virginia House of Delegates District 28 | Robert Thomas Jr. | Joshua Cole | R to D |
Virginia House of Delegates District 40 | Tim Hugo | Dan Helmer | R to D |
Virginia House of Delegates District 76 | Chris Jones | Clinton Jenkins | R to D |
Virginia House of Delegates District 83 | Christopher Stolle | Nancy Guy | R to D |
Virginia House of Delegates District 91 | Gordon Helsel | Martha Mugler | R to D |
Virginia House of Delegates District 94 | David Yancey | Shelly Simonds | R to D |
2019 battleground chamber
Ballotpedia identified the Virginia House of Delegates as one of three battleground chambers in 2019. These were chambers that we anticipated to be, overall, more competitive than other chambers and had the potential to see significant shifts in party control.
The chamber was selected because it met the following conditions:
- Competitive seats: These seats were last up in 2017. Eleven seats won by Republicans had a margin of victory that was less than 10 percent. Eleven seats won by Democrats had a margin of victory that was less than 10 percent. Four of the Republican seats were open because the incumbents were not seeking re-election. Another Republican incumbent lost in the primary election. Two Democratic incumbents ran for the Virginia State Senate rather than seeking re-election. See the 2019 races to watch here.
- Majority held less than 55 percent of seats: Republicans controlled 51 of 100 seats, which is 51 percent of the total.
- 2016 presidential election results: Hillary Clinton (D) won seven districts that elected Republicans to the state House in 2017, including one district with a retired incumbent. Donald Trump (R) did not win any Democratic-controlled districts. See the 2016 presidential results in state legislative districts here.
Virginia House of Delegates Party Control: 1991-2017
Year | '91 | '93 | '95 | '97 | '99 | '01 | '03 | '05 | '07 | '09 | '11 | '13 | '15 | '17 |
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Democrats | 52 | 52 | 52 | 50 | 47 | 31 | 37 | 39 | 44 | 39 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 49 |
Republicans | 47 | 47 | 47 | 49 | 52 | 67 | 61 | 58 | 54 | 59 | 67 | 67 | 66 | 51 |
Battleground races
Virginia House of Delegates Battleground races |
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Democratic seats |
District 10 |
District 12 |
District 13 |
District 21 |
District 31 |
District 50 |
District 51 |
District 68 |
District 72 |
District 73 |
District 85 |
Republican seats |
District 20 |
District 26 |
District 27 |
District 28 |
District 30 |
District 33 |
District 40 |
District 62 |
District 66 |
District 76 |
District 83 |
District 84 |
District 88 |
District 91 |
District 94 |
District 100 |
Ballotpedia identified 27 battleground races in the Virginia House of Delegates 2019 elections: 11 Democratic seats and 16 Republican seats. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and to lead to shifts in the chamber's partisan balance.
To determine state legislative battleground races in 2019, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the five factors listed below:
- If the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election prior to 2019
- If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the incumbent’s margin of victory in the previous election was 10 percentage points or less
- If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the incumbent did not file to run for re-election
- If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections by 20 points or more
- If the presidential candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2016 elections and the gubernatorial candidate opposite of the incumbent's party won the district in the 2017 gubernatorial election
Other factors could also cause a race to be classified as a battleground. For example, Ballotpedia may have considered an election to be a battleground race if an outside group or a national or state party announced that they were targeting a specific seat in order to flip it. We may have also determined a race to be a battleground if it received an unusual amount of media attention. Two additional factors were open seats and districts impacted by redistricting.
The chart below lists each battleground district, the party of the pre-election incumbent, and the party that won the district in the 2017 gubernatorial and 2016 presidential elections.
The map below highlights the battleground districts in the 2019 Virginia House of Delegates elections.
District 10
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Wendy Gooditis (incumbent) |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Wendy Gooditis (D) won election in 2017, receiving 52 percent of the vote and defeating her Republican opponent by 4 points. |
District 12
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Chris Hurst (incumbent) |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Chris Hurst (D) won election in 2017, receiving 54 percent of the vote and defeating his Republican opponent by 9 points. |
District 13
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Danica Roem (incumbent) |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Danica Roem (D) won election in 2017, receiving 54 percent of the vote and defeating her Republican opponent by 8 points. |
District 20
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Richard Bell (R) won re-election in 2017, receiving 54 percent of the vote and defeating his Democratic opponent by 12 points. |
District 21
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Kelly Convirs-Fowler (incumbent) |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D) won election in 2017, receiving 53 percent of the vote and defeating her Republican opponent by 6 points. |
District 26
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Brent Finnegan |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Tony Wilt (R) won re-election in 2017, receiving 54 percent of the vote and defeating his Democratic opponent by 9 points. |
District 27
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Larry Barnett |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Roxann Robinson (R) won re-election in 2017, receiving 50 percent of the vote and defeating her Democratic opponent by 0.5 points. |
District 28
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Robert Thomas Jr. (R) won election in 2017, receiving 50 percent of the vote and defeating his Democratic opponent by 0.3 points. |
District 30
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Ann Ridgeway |
Incumbent Nick Freitas (R) ran for re-election as a write-in. Freitas received a $500,000 campaign contribution from Richard Uihlein on July 12, 2019.[13] Freitas won re-election by a margin of 24.4 percentage points in 2017. |
District 31
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Elizabeth Guzman (incumbent) |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Elizabeth Guzman (D) won election in 2017, receiving 54 percent of the vote and defeating her Republican opponent by 10 points. |
District 33
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Mavis Taintor |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Dave LaRock (R) won re-election in 2017, receiving 54 percent of the vote and defeating his Democratic opponent by 9 points. |
District 40
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Dan Helmer |
This was a Republican-held district that Hillary Clinton (D) won in the 2016 presidential election and the incumbent won in the previous election by less than 10 percentage points. Incumbent Tim Hugo (R) was re-elected in 2017. He received 50.2 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic opponent by 0.3 points. Clinton carried District 40 by 11.1 points in the 2016 presidential election. |
District 50
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Lee Carter (incumbent) |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Lee Carter (D) won election in 2017, receiving 54 percent of the vote and defeating his Republican opponent by 9 points. |
District 51
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Hala Ayala (incumbent) |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Hala Ayala (D) won election in 2017, receiving 53 percent of the vote and defeating her Republican opponent by 6 points. |
District 62
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Riley Ingram (R) won re-election in 2017, receiving 52 percent of the vote and defeating his Democratic opponent by 4 points. |
What effect did redistricting have on this district? Based on 2016 presidential election results, this district shifted from R+5 to R+4. |
District 66
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Sheila Bynum-Coleman |
This was a Republican-held district that Hillary Clinton (D) won in the 2016 presidential election and Gov. Ralph Northam (D) won in the 2017 gubernatorial election. Clinton carried District 66 by 4.6 points in the 2016 presidential election. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) won this district in the 2017 gubernatorial election. |
What effect did redistricting have on this district? Based on 2016 presidential election results, this district shifted from R+23 to D+5. |
District 68
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Dawn Adams (incumbent) |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Dawn Adams (D) won election in 2017, receiving 50 percent of the vote and defeating her Republican opponent by 0.9 points. |
District 72
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Schuyler VanValkenburg (incumbent) |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Schuyler VanValkenburg (D) won election in 2017, receiving 53 percent of the vote and defeating his Republican opponent by 6 points. |
What effect did redistricting have on this district? Based on 2016 presidential election results, this district shifted from D+5 to D+7. |
District 73
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Debra Rodman (D) won election in 2017, receiving 52 percent of the vote and defeating her Republican opponent by 4 points. |
District 76
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
This was a district impacted by redistricting. Under the previous district map, Donald Trump (R) won District 76 by 7.80 percent. Under the new district map, Hillary Clinton (D) would have won the district by 16.20 percent. |
District 83
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Nancy Guy |
This was a Republican-held district that Hillary Clinton (D) won in the 2016 presidential election and Gov. Ralph Northam (D) won in the 2017 gubernatorial election. Clinton carried District 83 by 4.9 points in the 2016 presidential election. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) won this district in the 2017 gubernatorial election. |
What effect did redistricting have on this district? Based on 2016 presidential election results, this district shifted from R+7 to D+5. |
District 84
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Karen Mallard |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Glenn Davis (R) won re-election in 2017, receiving 52 percent of the vote and defeating his Democratic opponent by 4 points. |
District 85
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Democratic Party |
Who were the candidates running?
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Cheryl Turpin (D) won election in 2017, receiving 51 percent of the vote and defeating her Republican opponent by 2 points. |
What effect did redistricting have on this district? Based on 2016 presidential election results, this district shifted from R+1 to D+3. |
District 88
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Jessica Foster |
This was a district where the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent election. Incumbent Mark Cole (R) won re-election in 2017, receiving 53 percent of the vote and defeating his Democratic opponent by 16 points. |
District 91
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
What made this a battleground race?
This was a Republican-held district that Hillary Clinton (D) won in the 2016 presidential election and the incumbent retired. Incumbent Gordon Helsel (R) won re-election in 2017 by 13 points. Clinton carried District 91 by 4.6 points in the 2016 presidential election. |
What effect did redistricting have on this district? Based on 2016 presidential election results, this district shifted from R+11 to D+5. |
District 94
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Shelly Simonds |
This was a Republican-held district that Hillary Clinton (D) won in the 2016 presidential election and the incumbent won in the previous election by less than 10 percentage points. Incumbent David Yancey (R) was re-elected in 2017. He received 48.6 percent of the vote and defeated his Democratic by a random drawing after a recount resulted in a tie. Clinton carried District 94 by 16.8 points in the 2016 presidential election. |
What effect did redistricting have on this district? Based on 2016 presidential election results, this district shifted from D+6 to D+17. |
District 100
What party controlled the seat heading into the election?
The Republican Party |
Who were the candidates running?
Philip Hernandez |
This was a Republican-held district that Hillary Clinton (D) won in the 2016 presidential election and Gov. Ralph Northam (D) won in the 2017 gubernatorial election. Clinton carried District 100 by 2.6 points in the 2016 presidential election. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) won this district in the 2017 gubernatorial election. |
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Virginia House of Delegates, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Democrat | Republican | Other | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||||
Roanoke College August 11-19, 2019 | 38% | 30% | 6% | 26% | +/-4.2 | 556 | |||||||||||||
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. |
Satellite spending
Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[14][15][16]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
- Everytown for Gun Safety is a group founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg whose stated goal is "to end gun violence and build safer communities."[17] On September 5, 2019, the group announced that it would spend $573,000 across the state on efforts supporting Democratic candidates.[4]
- Forward Majority is a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates for state legislative office. On September 10, 2019, they announced $500,000 in spending across 16 House districts.[18]
- The National Rifle Association made a $200,000 donation to Speaker Todd Gilbert's (R) political action committee on September 3, 2019.[4] According to the Virginia Public Access Project, it was the largest single amount given to a Virginia political fund by the group to date.[19]
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, the most satellite spending had occurred in the following races as of October 15:[20]
Independent expenditures in Virginia House races, 2019 | |
---|---|
District | Total spent |
District 13 | $50,000 |
District 87 | $16,357 |
District 91 | $16,264 |
District 27 | $15,187 |
District 28 | $12,401 |
District 73 | $8,555 |
District 31 | $6,620 |
District 88 | $5,997 |
District 30 | $5,612 |
Background
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Virginia
On June 26, 2018, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled 2-1 in Bethune-Hill v. Virginia State Board of Elections that 11 state legislative districts had been subject to racial gerrymandering and needed to be redrawn. The court gave the legislature until October 30, 2018, to draw new district lines. Writing for the majority, Judge Barbara Milano Keenan said, "Overwhelming evidence in this case shows that, contrary to this constitutional mandate, the state has sorted voters into districts based on the color of their skin." On July 9, 2018, state Republicans petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States to stay the district court's order pending an appeal of that court's decision. Governor Ralph Northam (D) convened a special session of the legislature, beginning August 30, 2018, to redraw the maps. The legislature was unable to adopt a remedial map during this session. Consequently, the federal district court appointed a special master, Bernard Grofman, a political science professor at the University of California, Irvine, to draft a remedial map. State lawmakers petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States to stay the ruling pending ultimate resolution of the case. The high court denied this request on January 8, 2019.[21][22][23][24][25]
On January 22, 2019, the district court issued an order directing Grofman to finalize the district plan for the House of Delegates selected by the court. Pending appeals, the remedial map was slated to apply to the 2019 election cycle. House Speaker Kirk Cox (R) criticized the plan: "The Eastern District Court selected a series of legally indefensible redistricting modules that attempts to give Democrats an advantage at every turn. The modules selected by the Court target senior Republicans, myself included, without a substantive basis in the law." Meanwhile, Democratic attorney Marc Elias, who initiated the suit, praised the order: "In Virginia, the Federal Court in the long-running state house redistricting case has ordered the special master to adopt the alternative-map configuration we advocated. We are one important step closer to the end of the GOP's racial gerrymander." At the time of the ruling, Republicans controlled the House of Delegates, holding 51 seats to Democrats' 48. Larry Sabato, head of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said, "[The remedial map] would nearly guarantee a Democratic takeover of the House of Delegates."[26]
On June 17, 2019, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in Virginia House of Delegates v. Bethune-Hill, finding that the state House, helmed by Republicans, lacked standing to appeal a lower court order striking down the original legislative district plan as a racial gerrymander. The high court ruled 5-4, with Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg penning the majority opinion, joined by Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Neil Gorsuch. Associate Justice Samuel Alito dissented, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Stephen Breyer and Brett Kavanaugh. As a result of the high court's ruling, the lower court order implementing a remedial district plan was upheld.[27]
The new district map changed the boundaries of 25 House districts. Under the new map, voters in 56 House districts chose Hillary Clinton (D) over Donald Trump (R) in the 2016 presidential election. The new map had seven Republican-held seats that voted for Clinton and no Democratic-held seats that voted for Trump. Fourteen of the 15 Democratic victories in 2017 came in districts Clinton won in 2016.[28]
Redrawn map
Using the 2016 presidential election results as a baseline, the net result of the redrawing moved the Virginia House map from one where 51 districts voted for Hillary Clinton (D) and 49 districts voted for Donald Trump (R) to one where 56 districts voted for Clinton and 44 districts voted for Trump. Clinton defeated Trump statewide 49.7 percent to 44.4 percent.
Twenty-five districts were affected by the redrawing—nine Republican-held seats and 16 Democratic-held seats. This spreadsheet from Daily Kos shows the magnitude of the effects on each district using data on how the districts voted in the 2016 presidential election.
The vote share received by Clinton increased in 12 districts (eight Republican-held and four Democratic-held), and the vote share received by Trump increased in 13 districts (12 Democratic-held and one Republican-held).
This chart shows the overall shift in how districts voted in the 2016 presidential election. There would have been four seats under the previous map where districts voted for a president of the opposite party of their state representative: three Clinton/Republican and one Trump/Democratic. Under the new map, there were seven Clinton/Republican seats and no Trump/Democratic seats.
2016 presidential results after Virginia map redrawing | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Map used | Clinton seats | Trump seats | ||||
New map | 56 (7 held by Republicans) | 44 (none held by Democrats) | ||||
Old map | 51 (3 held by Republicans) | 49 (1 held by Democrats) |
This chart shows the seven districts that voted for Clinton and had a Republican representative after the redrawing. There were no districts that voted for Trump and had a Democratic representative.
Split districts under new map | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
District | Officeholder | Clinton margin | ||||
40 | Tim Hugo (R) | +11.1% | ||||
66* | Kirk Cox (R) | +4.6% | ||||
76* | Chris Jones (R) | +16.2% | ||||
83* | Christopher Stolle (R) | +4.9% | ||||
91* | Gordon Helsel (R) | +4.6% | ||||
94* | David Yancey (R) | +16.8% | ||||
100 | Robert S. Bloxom, Jr. (R) | +2.6% |
*District was affected by the redrawn map
This chart shows how redistricting affected each of the 25 districts. It presents the new partisan lean of the district based on the 2016 presidential results, the partisan lean of the district before redistricting, and the difference in partisan lean between the new district and the old district.
Districts affected by redistricting | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
District | Party | Officeholder | New map margin | Old map margin | Difference | |
62 | Riley Ingram | (R) | +4.00% | +5.30% | +1.30% | |
63 | Lashrecse Aird | (D) | +13.30% | +37.20% | +23.90% | |
64 | Emily Brewer | (R) | +18.30% | +22.70% | +4.40% | |
66 | Kirk Cox | (R) | +4.60% | +22.60% | +27.20% | |
69 | Betsy Carr | (D) | +71.20% | +71.00% | +0.20% | |
70 | Delores McQuinn | (D) | +42.90% | +58.40% | +15.50% | |
71 | Jeff Bourne | (D) | +74.30% | +74.70% | +0.40% | |
72 | Schuyler VanValkenburg | (D) | +7.00% | +5.40% | +1.60% | |
74 | Lamont Bagby | (D) | +47.90% | +49.00% | +1.10% | |
75 | Roz Tyler | (D) | +10.10% | +15.80% | +5.70% | |
76 | Chris Jones | (R) | +16.20% | +7.80% | +24.00% | |
77 | Cliff Hayes | (D) | +24.70% | +49.00% | +24.30% | |
78 | Jay Leftwich | (R) | +25.90% | +18.80% | +7.10% | |
79 | Steve Heretick | (D) | +18.10% | +23.70% | +5.60% | |
80 | Matthew James | (D) | +36.20% | +47.20% | +11.00% | |
81 | Barry Knight | (R) | +6.00% | +20.50% | +14.50% | |
83 | Christopher Stolle | (R) | +4.90% | +7.00% | +11.90% | |
85 | Cheryl Turpin | (D) | +2.50% | +0.60% | +3.10% | |
89 | Jerrauld Jones | (D) | +64.90% | +61.30% | +3.60% | |
90 | Joseph Lindsey | (D) | +33.20% | +53.60% | +20.40% | |
91 | Gordon Helsel | (R) | +4.60% | +10.90% | +15.50% | |
92 | Jeion Ward | (D) | +48.70% | +55.90% | +7.20% | |
93 | Michael Mullin | (D) | +10.20% | +19.20% | +9.00% | |
94 | David Yancey | (R) | +16.80% | +5.60% | +11.20% | |
95 | Marcia Price | (D) | +37.10% | +50.70% | +13.60% |
State executive noteworthy events
Controversies involving Virginia’s top three executive officials (all Democrats) were in the backdrop for the House elections as well as elections for the state Senate, which Republicans controlled heading into the election 21-19.
The three executive official controversies broke in February 2019:
- On Feb. 1, a website released pictures from Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) medical school yearbook page showing a person in blackface. Northam said he was not in the yearbook photo.
- On Feb. 3 and Feb. 8, respectively, Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson accused Lieutenant Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) of sexually assaulting them. Fairfax said the allegations were false.
- On Feb. 6, Attorney General Mark Herring (D) released a statement saying he wore blackface in college.
2017 gubernatorial results by district
Under the new maps for the 2019 election, there were 11 Republican-held districts that were won by Ralph Northam (D) in the 2017 gubernatorial election. Northam also won 49 Democratic-held House districts, and Ed Gillespie (R) won 40 Republican-held districts. There were no districts won by Gillespie with a Democratic incumbent in 2019.
The following map details the results of the 2017 gubernatorial election by House district.
Potential impact on trifecta status
Heading into the 2019 elections, Virginia had been under divided government since Gov. Mark Warner (D) took office in 2002. Gov. Ralph Northam was a Democrat while Republicans held majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Virginia held elections for all 40 state Senate seats and all 100 state House seats. Because the governorship was not up for election, Republicans could not win a trifecta in 2019. In order to prevent Democrats from gaining a trifecta, Republicans needed to maintain their majority in at least one chamber of the legislature. In order to gain a trifecta, Democrats needed to win both.
While each chamber was controlled by a margin of one seat, Democrats needed to flip two or more seats in both chambers in order to avoid sharing power. Because Democrats needed to flip two out of 40 seats (5%) in the state Senate and two out of 100 seats (2%) in the state House in order to gain majorities, Ballotpedia rated the chances of a Democratic trifecta forming in Virginia as a moderate possibility.
Democrats won 21 state Senate seats to Republicans' 19, a net gain of two seats. In the state House, Democrats won 55 seats to Republicans' 45, a net gain of seven seats (including one seat which was vacant at the time of the election).
Campaign finance
Campaign finance information for each candidate by district is available through the Virginia Public Access Project. Click here to view that data.
Timeline
- November 3, 2019: Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) appeared at a Democratic get-out-the-vote rally in Sterling, Virginia.[29]
- October 29, 2019: Beyond Carbon donated $348,000 to Nancy Guy (D) and $264,000 to Shelly Simonds.[30]
- September 16, 2019: Richard Uihlein made a $500,000 contribution to the campaign of Del. Nick Freitas (R).[31]
- September 10, 2019: Forward Majority announced it would spend $500,000 in 16 targeted races to fund digital ads and mailings.[18]
- September 5, 2019: Everytown for Gun Safety announced that it would spend $573,000 across the state in efforts to give Democrats control of the legislature.[4]
- September 3, 2019: The National Rifle Association made a $200,000 to Speaker Todd Gilbert's (R) political action committee on September 3, 2019.[4]
- August 8, 2019: After the Virginia Department of Elections denied his appeal, Del. Nick Freitas (R-30) announced he would run as a write-in candidate. His name did not appear on the ballot.[32]
- August 1, 2019: The Virginia Department of Elections denied the legislative district committee's request to place Del. Nick Freitas (R-30) on the ballot as a replacement candidate for Freitas, who withdrew from the race on July 18.[33]
- July 18, 2019: Del. Nick Freitas (R-30) withdrew from the race. He did so to avoid being removed from the ballot for failing to submit required paperwork by the specific deadline.[34]
- June 11, 2019: Primary elections took place.
- March 28, 2019: The candidate filing deadline passed.
- January 22, 2019: A federal district court issued an order directing special master Bernard Grofman to finalize the state house district map selected by the court. The new map was praised by Democratic attorney Marc Elias, who initiated the suit, and criticized by House Speaker Kirk Cox (R). Larry Sabato, head of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said, "[The remedial map] would nearly guarantee a Democratic takeover of the House of Delegates."[26] Read more below.
- January 8, 2019: The Supreme Court of the United States denied a request by Republican legislators to stay a federal district court's order that special master Bernard Grofman redraw the state house map. Read more below.
- August 30, 2018: The Virginia House of Delegates began a special session that Gov. Ralph Northam (D) called for the redrawing of 11 House districts a federal district court ruled were racially gerrymandered. The legislature was unable to agree to a map, leading the federal court to call for special master Bernard Grofman, a political science professor at the University of California, Irvine, to draw a new map. Read more below.
Virginia political history
Party control
Virginia House of Delegates | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | As of November 5, 2019 | After November 6, 2019 | |
Democratic Party | 49 | 55 | |
Republican Party | 51 | 45 | |
Total | 100 | 100 |
Presidential politics in Virginia
2016 Presidential election results
U.S. presidential election, Virginia, 2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 49.7% | 1,981,473 | 13 | |
Republican | Donald Trump/Mike Pence | 44.4% | 1,769,443 | 0 | |
Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 3% | 118,274 | 0 | |
Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 0.7% | 27,638 | 0 | |
Independent | Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson | 1.4% | 54,054 | 0 | |
- | Other/Write-in | 0.8% | 33,749 | 0 | |
Total Votes | 3,984,631 | 13 | |||
Election results via: Federal Election Commission |
Candidate and office information
See statutes: Title 24.2, Chapter 5 of the Election Code of Virginia
For partisan candidates
A political party candidate participating in a primary election must complete the candidate qualification certificate form for the office being sought. The form is a written statement (made under oath) indicating that the candidate is qualified to vote for and to hold the office for which he or she is a candidate. The form must be filed before a candidate can purchase a registered voter's list for petition purposes. A candidate for election to statewide office, the United States House of Representatives, or the Virginia General Assembly must file the statement with the Virginia State Board of Elections. A candidate for any other office must file the statement with the general registrar of the county or city where he or she resides.[35][36]
A candidate must also file a written statement of economic interests if running for the state legislature, statewide office, a school board in a town or city with a population in excess of 3,500, or for constitutional office.[37]
The candidate qualification certificate and statement of economic interests must be filed by the filing deadline for the primary.[38]
The candidate must also file a declaration of candidacy and petition on or before the filing deadline for the election. The petition must contain the required number of signatures for the office being sought (signature requirements are summarized in the table below). Candidates seeking to participate in a primary election must also pay a primary filing fee. The filing fee is 2 percent of the minimum annual salary for the office being sought.[39]
Signature requirements | |
---|---|
Office sought | Signature requirements |
Governor, United States Senate, and other statewide offices | 10,000, including 400 qualified voters from each congressional district |
United States House of Representatives | 1,000 |
Virginia State Senate | 250 |
Virginia House of Delegates | 125 |
For independent candidates
An independent candidate for the United States House of Representatives or the United States Senate must file a declaration of candidacy, a petition, and a candidate qualification certificate form with the Virginia State Board of Elections. A candidate for statewide office or the Virginia General Assembly must file a declaration of candidacy form, a petition, a statement of economic interests form, and a candidate qualification certificate form. The candidate must file the required forms by 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday in June. A candidate for local office must file a declaration of candidacy, a petition, a statement of economic interests form, and a candidate qualification certificate form with the local authority in the county or city in which the office is being sought. The candidate must submit the required forms by 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday in June.[38][40][41]
An independent candidate must gather the same number of petition signatures as partisan candidates. There are no filing fees for independent candidates.
For write-in candidates
Write-in votes are permitted in all elections but primaries. A voter may cast a write-in vote for any person other than the candidates for the given office listed on the ballot. Write-in candidates are not required to file any special forms in advance in order to have their votes tallied (except in the case of presidential and vice presidential candidates, who must file declarations of intent).[42]
Qualifications
Candidates for the House of Delegates must be qualified to vote, have been a resident of Virginia for one year immediately preceding the election, and be a resident of the city or town in which they file for election.[43]
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2023 | |
---|---|
Salary | Per diem |
$18,000/year for senators. $17,640/year for delegates. | $209/day |
When sworn in
Virginia legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January after the election.[44][45]
2017 elections
Virginia House of Delegates | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Before November 7, 2017 | After November 7, 2017 | |
Democratic Party | 34 | 49 | |
Republican Party | 66 | 51 | |
Total | 100 | 100 |
Timeline
From election night on November 7, 2017, until the 2018-2019 legislative session began on January 10, 2018, the question of which party would control the Virginia House of Delegates was unknown. This timeline details the recounts, legal proceedings, and other notable events that occurred following the 2017 elections.
Seats that switched party control
Fifteen Virginia House seats had switched from Republican to Democratic control. Heading into election night, Democrats needed to gain 17 seats to take control of the chamber.
The chart below shows the districts that switched control. In addition to showing the pre-election and post-election status of the seat, it details the 2017 margin of victory (based on unofficial results), the margin of victory in the 2016 presidential election, and increases in voter turnout in 2017 compared to 2013, the last election where both the governor's office and the state House were on the ballot. The average increase in turnout for the 14 districts that switched from Republican to Democratic control was 26.8 percent compared to 2013. Across all state House elections, voter turnout increased 19.3 percent compared to 2013.
Virginia House seats that switched party control, 2017 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
District | Pre-election | 2017 Winner | Margin of victory | 2016 presidential election | Turnout increase (2013 vs. 2017) | |
District 2 | Open seat | Jennifer Foy (D) | 25.4 percent | D+20.4 | 23.7 percent | |
District 10 | Randall Minchew (R) | Wendy Gooditis (D) | 3.9 percent | D+6.4 | 28.4 percent | |
District 12 | Joseph Yost (R) | Chris Hurst (D) | 8.8 percent | D+2.9 | 25.7 percent | |
District 13 | Bob Marshall (R) | Danica Roem (D) | 8.7 percent | D+14.8 | 25.5 percent | |
District 21 | Ronald Villanueva (R) | Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D) | 5.2 percent | D+4.5 | 21.7 percent | |
District 31 | Scott Lingamfelter (R) | Elizabeth Guzman (D) | 8.9 percent | D+10.3 | 21.7 percent | |
District 32 | Thomas Greason (R) | David Reid (D) | 17.1 percent | D+20.9 | 33.5 percent | |
District 42 | Open seat | Kathy Tran (D) | 22.1 percent[46] | D+23.1 | 19.9 percent | |
District 50 | Jackson H. Miller (R) | Lee Carter (D) | 8.9 percent | D+14 | 20.5 percent | |
District 51 | Richard Anderson (R) | Hala Ayala (D) | 5.7 percent | D+8.9 | 12.9 percent | |
District 67 | James LeMunyon (R) | Karrie Delaney (D) | 15.9 percent | D+26.7 | 25.1 percent | |
District 68 | Manoli Loupassi (R) | Dawn Adams (D) | 0.8 percent | D+10.8 | 18.9 percent | |
District 72 | Open seat | Schuyler VanValkenburg (D) | 5.7 percent | D+5.4 | 51.5 percent[47] | |
District 73 | John O'Bannon (R) | Debra Rodman (D) | 2.8 percent | D+7.8 | 47.2 percent[47] | |
District 85 | Rocky Holcomb (R) | Cheryl Turpin (D) | 1.7 percent | R+0.5 | 18.6 percent |
District 94 tie-breaker
Unofficial recount results on December 19 showed Shelly Simonds (D) winning the District 94 race by one vote. Delegate David Yancey (R) held a 10-vote lead heading into the recount. On December 20, a panel of judges found that a previously disqualified ballot should have counted for Yancey, resulting in a tied race.
According to Virginia law, the winner of a tied race is determined by lot, which means a random chance event such as a coin flip or drawing straws.[48] Yancey won the random drawing on January 4, 2018. On January 10, Simonds conceded the race to Yancey.[49]
The chamber would have been tied 50-50 had Simonds won the tie-breaker.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Virginia utilizes an open primary process in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[50][51][52][53]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Virginia, all polls open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[54]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Virginia, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of Virginia, and at least 18 years of age.[55]
Registration can be completed online, in person at a local voter registration office, or by mail. Voters can also register at the following locations:[55]
“ |
|
” |
—Virginia Department of Elections |
The deadline to register is 22 days before a primary or general election.[55]
Automatic registration
On April 12, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed SB219 into law, establishing automatic voter registration for individuals conducting business with the Department of Motor Vehicles.[57]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Virginia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Virginia allows same-day voter registration in-person at local registrars' offices, satellite early voting sites during the early voting period, and at the precinct on Election Day.[55]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Virginia, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.
Verification of citizenship
Virginia does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Verifying your registration
This page, run by the Virginia Department of elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
According to the Department of Elections website, "All voters casting a ballot in-person will be asked to show one form of identification. Any voter who does not present acceptable identification may instead sign a statement, subject to felony penalties, that they are the named registered voter who they claim to be. Any voter who does not present acceptable identification or sign this statement must vote a provisional ballot."[58][59]
The following documents were considered acceptable identification for voting as of May 2023:[58]
- Virginia driver's license or DMV-issued ID card
- Valid employee ID, containing a photo, issued by the voter's employer in ordinary course of business
- U.S. military ID
- Valid student ID, containing a photo, issued by any public or private school college, or university
- Valid student ID issued by a public or private school high school, college, or university in Virginia (with or without a photo)
- Valid U.S. passport or passport card
- ID card issued by the federal government or a Virginia state or local authority.
- Voter ID card issued by the department of elections
- Voter confirmation documents
- Valid tribal enrollment or ID issued by one of the 11 tribes recognized in Virginia
- Government nursing home resident ID
- Any other current government document containing the name and address of the voter
- Signed ID Confirmation Statement
Early voting
Virginia permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website. Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. Some states allow voters to cast absentee ballots in person.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.[60][61]
Absentee voting
All Virginia voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail. There are no special requirements to be eligible to vote absentee/by mail. Voters may request an absentee ballot online or complete a paper absentee ballot request form and return it to their local voter registration office by mail, fax, or email. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. at least 11 days before Election Day.[62][63]
Completed ballots must be returned to the local registrar's office or an official drop off location by 7 p.m. on Election Day. If mailed, completed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within three days of the election in order to be counted.[62]
On April 12, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam (D) signed HB1 and SB111 into law, establishing no-excuse absentee voting 45 days prior to an election. The legislation was in effect for the November 3, 2020 election.[57]
On the same day, Northam also signed HB238 and SB455, providing for absentee ballots postmarked on or before the date of an election to be counted if received by noon on the third day after the election.[57]
Pivot counties
In the 2016 presidential election, Virginia was a battleground state. Hillary Clinton (D) won Virginia with 49.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic 56.67 percent of the time and Republican 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic three times (2008, 2012, and 2016) and Republican two times (2000 and 2004).
Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
Buckingham County, Virginia | 11.28% | 2.43% | 0.87% | ||||
Caroline County, Virginia | 5.02% | 8.24% | 11.97% | ||||
Essex County, Virginia | 2.14% | 7.30% | 10.35% | ||||
Nelson County, Virginia | 5.59% | 2.72% | 9.15% | ||||
Westmoreland County, Virginia | 7.14% | 6.95% | 10.24% |
State profile
- See also: Virginia and Virginia elections, 2019
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019
Presidential voting pattern
- Virginia voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. Senators from Virginia were Democrats.
- Virginia had seven Democratic and four Republican U.S. Representatives.
State executives
- Democrats held four of Virginia's 13 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
- Virginia's governor was Democrat Ralph Northam.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled the Virginia State Senate with a 21-19 majority.
- Republicans controlled the Virginia House of Delegates with a 51-49 majority.
Virginia Party Control: 1992-2024
Four years of Democratic trifectas • Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R |
Senate | D | D | D | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D |
House | D | D | D | D | D | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | D |
|
|
Demographic data for Virginia | ||
---|---|---|
Virginia | U.S. | |
Total population: | 8,367,587 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 39,490 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White: | 69% | 73.6% |
Black/African American: | 19.2% | 12.6% |
Asian: | 6% | 5.1% |
Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Two or more: | 3.2% | 3% |
Hispanic/Latino: | 8.6% | 17.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate: | 88.3% | 86.7% |
College graduation rate: | 36.3% | 29.8% |
Income | ||
Median household income: | $65,015 | $53,889 |
Persons below poverty level: | 13% | 11.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Virginia. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Associated Press, "Democrats win full control of Virginia statehouse," November 5, 2019
- ↑ Brennan Center, "Who Draws the Maps? Legislative and Congressional Redistricting," June 1, 2018
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Poll finds Virginia voters focused on gun policy ahead of pivotal election," October 4, 2019
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 The Washington Post, "Money flowing to Virginia legislative races from both sides of gun control issue," September 5, 2019
- ↑ The Hill, "Virginia legislature adjourns 2 hours into special session called after mass shooting," July 7, 2019
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Virginia’s ‘off-off-year’ elections were once sleepy. And then came Trump." September 14, 2019
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Political Control in Virginia Up for Grabs in Tight Election," September 20, 2019
- ↑ Business Insider, "Democrats just picked up their biggest gains in the Virginia House since the 1800s as part of a complete annihilation," November 8, 2017
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Candidates: Tuesday, June 11, 2019 Democratic Primary, House of Delegates," accessed April 16, 2019
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Candidates: Tuesday, June 11, 2019 Republican Primary, House of Delegates," accessed April 16, 2019
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Candidates: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/media/CastYourBallot/CandidateList/2019November_List_of_HOD_Candidates_By_Office_District.pdf, House of Delegates," accessed July 1, 2019
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Fredericksburg.com, "Illinois billionaire donates $500K to Freitas campaign; Spanberger endorses Ridgeway," September 18, 2019
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
- ↑ Everytown for Gun Safety, "Who We Are," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 The Washington Post, "PAC to spend $500,000 to help Democrats running for Virginia House," September 10, 2019
- ↑ WTVR, "NRA makes historic donation to VA Republicans while gun-control groups pump money to Democrats," September 5, 2019
- ↑ Virginia Public Access Project, "Independent Expenditures," accessed October 16, 2019
- ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Federal court rules against Va. House in racial gerrymandering case, orders new districting plan by Oct. 30," June 26, 2018
- ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Va. House GOP asks U.S. Supreme Court to delay court-ordered redistricting in racial gerrymandering case," July 9, 2018
- ↑ Governing, "Gerrymandered Virginia House Districts to Be Redrawn in Special Session," August 23, 2018
- ↑ Associated Press, "Judges set timeline for new Virginia legislative map," October 22, 2018
- ↑ Election Law Blog, "Supreme Court declines to intervene in Virginia redistricting dispute," January 8, 2019
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Federal court picks redrawn Va. House map that boosts Democrats' chances of taking control," January 23, 2019
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, "Virginia House of Delegates v. Bethune-Hill," June 17, 2019
- ↑ Daily Kos, "How much does Virginia's new, un-gerrymandered state House map help Democrats? A whole bunch," April 10, 2019
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Biden rallies Virginia Democrats ahead of Tuesday’s pivotal state election," November 3, 2019
- ↑ The Washington Free Beacon, "New Bloomberg Group Drops Over $600,000 on Dem Virginia Delegate Candidates," November 1, 2019
- ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch , "Freitas will report getting $500K from GOP megadonor, campaign says," September 16, 2019
- ↑ Washington Post, "Va. Republican who failed to qualify for ballot will mount a write-in campaign," August 8, 2019
- ↑ WTOP, "Virginia denies GOP lawmaker’s belated candidacy request," August 1, 2019
- ↑ Fredricksburg.com, "Del. Nick Freitas withdraws from race," July 19, 2019
- ↑ Election Code of Virginia, "Section 24.2-501," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Election Code of Virginia, "Section 24.2-947.1," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Election Code of Virginia, "Section 24.2-502," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 Election Code of Virginia, "Section 24.2-503," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "Candidate Bulletins," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Election Code of Virginia, "Section 24.2-505," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "How to Run for Virginia General Assembly (2023)," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Code of Virginia, "Title 24.2, Section 24.2-644," accessed May 30, 2023
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Candidacy Requirements for the November 7, 2017 General Election," January 3, 2016
- ↑ Virginia Legislative Information System, "Code of Virginia - § 24.2-214. Election and term of Senators." accessed January 6, 2022
- ↑ Virginia Legislative Information System, "Code of Virginia - § 24.2-215. Election and term of members of the House of Delegates." accessed January 6, 2022
- ↑ Vote margin calculated with 18 of 19 precincts reporting.
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 Incumbent was unopposed in 2013
- ↑ Virginia Law, "§ 24.2-674. Determination by lot in case of tie.," accessed December 20, 2017
- ↑ WTOP, "Va. Democrat Simonds concedes tied Newport News race," January 10, 2018
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ FairVote,"Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections,"Casting a Ballot," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Election and Voter FAQ," accessed May 3, 2023
- ↑ 55.0 55.1 55.2 55.3 Virginia Department of Elections, "How to Register," accessed May 3, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 Office of the Governor of Virginia, "Governor Northam Signs Sweeping New Laws to Expand Access to Voting," April 12, 2020
- ↑ 58.0 58.1 Voter identification, "Voting on Election Day," accessed May 3, 2023
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Voting on Election Day," accessed May 3, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Early In-Person Voting," March 23, 2023
- ↑ On February 23, 2024, Delaware Superior Court judge Mark Conner ruled that early voting was unconstitutional in the state, saying that the laws were "inconsistent with our constitution and therefore cannot stand." On February 29, lawmakers introduced legislation, SB3, to restore in-person early voting. On February 27, Attorney General Kathy Jennings (D) announced that she would appeal the decision to the Delaware Supreme Court and said, "We will file our appeal quickly and intend to request a decision from the Delaware Supreme Court so that voters have final clarity in time for the September primaries."
- ↑ 62.0 62.1 Virginia Department of Elections, "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed May 3, 2023
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Virginia Absentee Ballot Application Form,"accessed May 3, 2023