Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates now control 64 seats and have a supermajority in the chamber after the party managed to flip a staggering 13 seats.
Democrats secured a razor-thin majority just two years ago, at 51 members, despite robust efforts from Gov. Glenn Youngkin to build on the narrow majority Republicans had at the time.
Tuesday’s results represent a major win for Democrats across the Commonwealth, and throughout the nation, as the party amps up for next year’s Midterm Elections when Democrats will attempt to regain control of Congress.
The expansion of its majority in the House of Delegates builds on a trifecta of Democratic wins at the top of the ticket, with Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi and Jay Jones flipping the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General offices, respectively.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) on Tuesday night declared the victories a mandate for the state’s progressive agenda and leaders who will stand up to the Donald Trump administration’s economic policies. The group noted that it was the first time in nearly 30 years Democrats have successfully defended a Virginia House majority.
“Voters are sick of the chaos in DC as well as the state Republicans who refuse to stand up on behalf of their communities,” DLCC President Heather Williams said in a statement.
“This huge win in Virginia sets the tone for the 2026 midterms when Democrats have an opportunity to not only win back power in Congress but to make historic gains in our state legislatures. 56 million Americans live in the states on DLCC’s target map in 2026, and Virginia is just the opening act in winning back power across the map.”
She added that the DLCC will continue to work to recruit quality candidates and invest in key battleground races in all 50 states.
“Our job now is to channel this energy for Democrats into the opportunities we have in 2026 to build our power in state legislatures across the country. We’re ready to defend and gain ground where it matters most,” Williams said.
Some of Tuesday night’s Democratic victories were buoyed by strong turnout in suburban swing districts, where polarization over national issues — such as threats to democracy Democrats often caution, access to abortion and affordability issues in housing and health care — played a role.
House District 75 in Chesterfield County was one of the top-watched races this cycle. It saw Democrat Lindsey Dougherty unseating incumbent Republican Carrie Coyner with nearly 53% of the vote. Dougherty, among other issues, focused on improving public school funding in the district, a poignant issue given Coyner previously served as a local School Board member before being elected to the Legislature in 2019.
In House District 71, Democrat Jessica Anderson defeated incumbent Republican Amanda Battan in the James City County-based district, with a similar nearly 53% of the vote.
Another closely watched race in House District 41, in Montgomery, saw a more narrow victory, with Democrat Lily Franklin defeating incumbent Republican Chris Obenshain with 51% of the vote. She focused her campaign on affordability, reproductive rights and workforce training. It was one of the tightest races this election.
— House District 22: Elizabeth Guzman defeated Ian Lovejoy with nearly 55% of the vote.
— House District 30: John Chilton McAuliff defeated Geary Higgins with nearly 51% of the vote.
— House District 57: May Nivar defeated David Owen with more than 55% of the vote.
— House District 64: Stacey Annie Carroll defeated Paul Milde with nearly 53% of the vote.
— House District 66: Nicole Cole defeated Bobby Orrock with more than 52% of the vote.
— House District 69: Mark Downey defeated Chad Green with nearly 50% of the vote (an independent candidate collected nearly 4%, leading to no candidate receiving majority support).
— House District 73: Leslie Mehta defeated Mark Earley Jr. with nearly 52% of the vote.
— House District 82: Kimberly Pope Adams defeated Kim Taylor with nearly 54% of the vote.
— House District 86: Virgil Gene Thornton Sr. defeated A.C. Cordoza with more than 53% of the vote.
— House District 89: Karen Robins Carnegie defeated Mike Lamonea with more than 54% of the vote.
Republicans didn’t flip a single seat this cycle. And of the Democratic held seats, only three Democratic candidates earned less than 60% of the vote: Josh Thomas in House District 21 and Joshua Cole in House District 65, who each won with more than 58% of the vote, and Michael Feggans, who won with 57% of the vote.
Republicans, meanwhile, had 15 seats that were held by less than 60% of the vote, including eight with 55% of the vote or less.
