Virginia state Democrats have maintained control of the state House, widening their narrow majority and ensuring continued unified control of state government heading into the 2026 midterms.
Democrats, who held a 51-seat majority in Virginia’s state House, flipped at least 11 seats in Tuesday’s elections, securing at least a 61-seat majority for the 2026 session, according to the Associated Press as of Nov. 5, at 2:24 p.m.
The results solidify Virginia’s status as a Democratic stronghold in the south and allow the party to press forward with two proposed constitutional amendments protecting abortion access and marriage equality.
Those measures, which have previously been passed by lawmakers, must pass the legislature again next session before they can appear on the 2026 ballot. Democrats’ hold on power also gives them leverage over state spending, education funding, and climate initiatives, while Republicans face a reset after back-to-back defeats.
There were 10 competitive seats statewide heading into election night, including three seats held by Democrats, according to forecasts from the Virginia Public Access Project, with all 100 of Virginia’s state House seats on the ballot on Tuesday. Democrats won all 10 of those seats.
In House District 82, which represents the Petersburg and Dinwiddie areas, Republican incumbent Kim Taylor was defeated by Democrat Kimberly Pope Adams. Adams received 54% compared to Taylor’s 46%, according to the Associated Press. Taylor previously beat Adams by 53 votes in 2023.
In Virginia’s House District 75, Incumbent Republican Del. Carrie Coyner was defeated by Democrat Lindsey Dougherty. Dougherty garnered 53% of the votes compared to Coyner’s 47%, according to the Associated Press.
The race was also a rematch, with the pair last facing off in 2019 in what was House District 62, where Dougherty lost by a 55-45 margin. The district represents the Chesterfield and Hopewell areas.
Coyner garnered national attention after violent text messages sent by Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones in 2022, then a former colleague of Coyner’s, were revealed, in which Jones wrote to Coyner, musing about shooting then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, as well as writing that Gilbert and his wife were “breeding little fascists.”
In the messages, reported by National Review, Coyner asked Jones to stop, and wrote that, “It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them.”
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The messages shook up the political landscape in Virginia with just a month left for candidates to campaign, creating a possible opening for Republicans in the state’s races.
Virginia has leaned increasingly Democratic in recent years; Vice President Kamala Harris won by 5 points against now-President Donald Trump, while Joe Biden won the state by 10 points in 2020. Yet Glenn Youngkin’s 2021 gubernatorial victory showed the commonwealth remains a genuine battleground.
