Virginia Democrats Take House In Blow To Gov. Youngkin
Democrats took control of the Virginia House of Delegates in Tuesday’s elections while holding onto their grip on the Senate. The leftist victory was a serious setback to the conservative momentum brought about by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s surprise win two years ago.
The GOP had maintained a solid grip on the lower chamber, controlling Virginia’s house since 2000 except for a brief two years after the 2019 elections.
The Democratic wins came in spite of one of the party’s leading candidates selling adult acts online during her campaign. Susanna Gibson only narrowly lost her race despite her scandalous history.
Tuesday’s results likely meant a stalemate for the foreseeable future between the Republican governor and Democratic legislature. Many experts ranked abortion as the top issue, and one leading state leftist boasted about the outcome.
Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie Locke declared, “It’s official. There will be absolutely no abortion ban legislation sent to Glenn Youngkin’s desk for the duration of his term in office, period, as we have thwarted MAGA Republicans.”
Locke further accused the GOP of attempting to “control the government and our bodies.”
Virginia was one of only four states to hold elections this year, meaning there was elevated attention paid to its outcome. Both parties look to measure the appeal of key issues to voters heading into the pivotal 2024 races.
Despite the success in Virginia as well as others in Ohio and Kentucky, the outlook for national Democrats is still a decidedly mixed bag. The leftist party continues to deal with the crushing unpopularity of President Joe Biden amid calls for him to step aside.
With the incumbent’s support hovering around record lows, Democrats will doubtlessly dissect Tuesday’s results to see what worked in their favor.
This means it is certain that the drumbeat of abortion “rights” will be a heavy theme as the 2024 campaign season unfolds. Despite former President Donald Trump’s lead in virtually every poll, Democrats must feel they have latched onto a winning issue.
For Republicans, it is key that the party’s message on lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, parental rights, secure borders and a strong military gets out to voters. Nothing less than the future of the country depends on it.
