Democrats have secured the majority in the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate following Tuesday’s election.
All of the Virginia House of Delegates' 100 seats and all 40 Virginia Senate seats were on the ballot Tuesday, with control of the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate hanging in the balance.
Republicans had a 21-19 majority in the Senate and 51-49 majority in the House before Tuesday's election. Preliminary results and early projections Tuesday night put Democrats in a 21-19 majority in the Senate and a 55-45 majority in the House with 1 independent. (Results could change this wee as provisional ballots and absentee ballots are counted.)
This is the first time since 1994 that Democrats have controlled the House, Senate and Governor’s office in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Alexandria Region Senate and House Results
Here in the Alexandria area, Sen. Adam Ebbin and Sen. Dick Saslaw both ran unopposed. Ebbin received 91.69% of the more than 44,000 votes from people in his 30th Senate District. Saslaw won 92.73% of the 35,000-plus votes cast in his 35th District.
Sen. George Barker faced a challenge from a Republican, S.W. ‘Dutch’ Hillenburg. Barker defeated Hillenburg with 65.47% of the vote. Hillenberg received 34.41% of the vote; write-in candidates took the remainder. There were close to 57,000 votes cast in that race.
In the House of Delegates, Del. Paul Krizek faced a challenge from Republican Richard Hayden. In the closest House race in the Alexandria area, Krizek won with 70.52% of the approximately 17,300 votes in the 44th District. Hayden received 29.34% and write-ins received the rest.
Del. Mark Levine and Del. Charniele Herring both ran unopposed. Levine won 91.46% of the 20,600 votes in his 45th House District. Herring took 92.03% of the 13,300 votes cast in the 46th House District.
Alexandria Clerk of the Court
In Alexandria, J. Greg Parks won the primary race for Alexandria Clerk of Court in June and faced no opposition. Parks took 93.98% of the nearly 28,300 votes cast; the remainder went to write-in candidates.
The current clerk of the court, Ed Semonian, is retiring in January. Parks will be focusing on modernizing the court’s systems, ensuring court records are accessible to everyone regardless of financial means and focusing on customer service.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay (D) ran for Chairman of the Board of Supervisors against Republican Joe Galdo. McKay received 65.97% of the 262,600-plus votes cast in Fairfax County in that race. Galdo received 33.7% and write-in candidates received the remainder.
McKay wrote on his campaign website, “In this time of hateful rhetoric and divisiveness, we need to fight for all families and communities across Fairfax County and create a Fairfax that works for all – One Fairfax. We have a huge role as the largest county in the region to continue to embrace all people and remind ourselves that our diversity is the key to our continued success.”
Democrat Rodney Lusk ran unopposed for the Lee District supervisor seat vacated by McKay. He took 95.58% of the 21,800 votes cast (the remainder went to write-in candidates).
Longtime Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross (D) faced opposition from Republican Gary Aiken. Gross received 63.65% and Aiken received 35.92% of the 23,500 votes cast, with the remainder going to write-in candidates.
Incumbent Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck (D) faced no opposition and received 94.29% of the 24,600 votes cast. Write-in candidates took the remainder.
Fairfax County Public Schools
A school bond referendum was on the ballot for a maximum amount of $360 million that would fund facilities improvements across Fairfax County. The purpose of the bond referendum is “to finance, including reimbursement to the County for temporary financing for, the costs of school improvements, including acquiring, building, expanding and renovating properties, including new sites, new buildings or additions, renovations and improvements to existing buildings, and furnishings and equipment, for the Fairfax County public school system.”
The bond referendum passed with approximately 77% of voters approving.
Twelve seats on Fairfax County’s school board, including three at-large seats, were up for grabs this fall. School Board candidates are non-partisan themselves and do not run as a Democrat, Republican or Independent, but they can receive support, funding and backing from local political parties.
- The three at-large candidates backed by Democrats won. Abrar Omeish, Rachna Sizemore Heizer and incumbent Karen Keys-Gamarra defeated Republican-backed candidates Cheryl Buford, Priscilla DeStefano and Vinson Xavier Palathingal.
- In the Lee District, incumbent Tammy Kaufax ran unopposed.
- In the Mount Vernon District, incumbent Karen Corbett Sanders ran against Steven Mosley and Pamela Ononiwu. Corbett Sanders took 62.31% of the votes; Mosley took 31.27% and Ononiwu received 6.09%. (The rest went to various write-in candidates.)
- In the Mason District, Ricardy Anderson ran against Tom L. Pafford. Anderson received 76.89% of votes; Pafford received 21.19% and write-in candidates took 2.03%.
Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney
Democrat Steve Descano, a former federal attorney, beat incumbent Raymond Morrogh in a primary in June. Independent Jonathan Fahey, endorsed by the Fairfax GOP and a former federal prosecutor, announced in August that he was running against Descano. Descano fought off that challenge, winning with 62.2% of votes to Fahey’s 38.8% (and the rest to write-in candidates). About 264,000 residents voted.
Fairfax County Sheriff
Current Sheriff Stacey Kincaid ran against Christopher F. DeCarlo. Kincaid will return to office, having won 78.11% of the votes. DeCarlo received 20.71% of the votes, and the remainder went to write-in candidates. More than 250,000 residents voted.
Soil & Water Conservation District
The Fairfax County Soil & Water Conservation District has five members on its Board of Directors. Three of these seats are up for election. The Soil & Water Conservation District develops programs and plans to conserve soil resources, prevent erosion and more.
Similar to the Fairfax County School Board, candidates are independent but may receive support from a local political party or organization. The candidates were C. Jane Dudik, Chris E. Koerner, Christopher A. Bowen, Edward F. McGovern, Jonah E. "Jet" Thomas, Monica A. Billger and Gerald Owen "Jerry" Peters, Jr. The three top vote-getters were Billger, Peters and Koerner.
A complete list of results is available through the Virginia State Board of Elections here.
