DLCC and State Dems Claim Landslide Victories in Virginia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 7, 2017
CONTACT:
Mara Sloan
DLCC Communications Director
[email protected]
202.449.6740

 

 

WASHINGTON — Democrats in Virginia had record-breaking landslide wins tonight, tilting chamber control to 50 Democratic seats to Republicans’ 49 seats, with one seat still too close to call, leaving chamber control hanging in the balance.

 

“The DLCC’s early engagement and investments in Virginia ensured Democrats had the infrastructure and field programs in place to harness the incredible grassroots enthusiasm on the ground that made it possible for Virginians to knock on over one million doors on behalf of the campaigns,” said Post. “We are extremely proud of the work we did to bring this election home for Democrats, and we are confident that all Virginians will benefit from the more inclusive and progressive policies Governor-elect Ralph Northam and this new legislature will fight to enact.

 

“Despite Republican-drawn gerrymandered maps, Democrats had the most pickups in the House of Delegates since 1899. Virginians made their voices heard loud and clear that they do not want Trump’s extreme agenda in Virginia,” Post continued. “Last session, Virginia Republicans refused to expand Medicaid, passed measures to restrict women’s reproductive rights, and killed legislation to establish equal pay for equal work and paid family leave, and other Democratic-proposed policies that would have helped working Americans.

 

“The DLCC is confident that Virginia will thrive under Democrats’ capable leadership in the state House and governorship and we will see progress on redistricting, health care, voting rights, workers’ protection policies, and beyond.”

 

Tonight’s winners include historic firsts, small business owners, veterans, parents, teachers, journalists, public defenders, and many first-time candidates.

 

The DLCC congratulates all eight of our Virginia Spotlight Race candidates on their victories:

Jennifer Carroll Foy, HD-2,
Chris Hurst, HD-12,
Danica Roem, HD-13 – who became the first openly transgender candidate to be elected to a state legislature,
Elizabeth Guzman, HD-31 – who is one of the first Latinas to be elected to the Virginia House,
Donte Tanner, HD-40,
Kathy Tran, HD-42 – who is the first Asian-American to be elected to the Virginia House,
Karrie Delaney, HD-67, and
Schuyler VanValkenburg, HD-72

 

Other winners include:

Wendy Gooditis, HD-10
Kelly Convirs-Fowler, HD-21
David Reid, HD-32
Kathleen Murphy, HD-34
Lee Carter, HD-50
Hala Ayala, HD-51
Dawn Adams, HD-68
Debra Rodman, HD-73

Cheryl Turpin, HD-85
Jay Jones, HD-89
Jennifer Boysko, HD-86
John Bell, HD-87
Mike Mullin, HD-93

 

Tonight’s Democratic victories extend from coast to coast, with the DLCC flipping the Washington State Senate with Manka Dhingra’s critical special victory, claiming record majorities in the New Jersey Legislature, flipping two seats from red to blue in the Georgia state House, breaking the Republican supermajority in the Georgia state Senate, flipping a New Hampshire state House seat from red to blue, and winning additional special elections in Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and South Carolina. The DLCC is proud of the programs, investments, and strategic actions it took during this cycle, and looks forward to supporting our legislators and candidates in upcoming special elections and throughout the 2018 midterm elections as Democrats prepare for 2020 redistricting.

 

For more information on this race or any of tonight’s elections or to schedule an interview with the DLCC, please contact Mara Sloan at [email protected]. The DLCC will continue to send critical updates.