Virginia Republicans boldly boasted of a new era in Richmond in which they control all mechanisms of power after declaring victory Wednesday in a Senate race likely to remain up in the air until December.
Longtime Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, trailed Republican challenger Bryce Reeves by fewer than 100 votes with 100 to 150 provisional ballots still to be counted. The 0.2 percent difference in votes between the two is likely to trigger a recount request from Houck once the State Board of Elections certifies the results on Nov. 28.
Democrats held a 22-18 majority heading into Tuesday’s elections and so far Republicans have officially gained just one seat — Democratic Sen. Roscoe Reynolds’ 20th District on the state’s Southside. A two-seat gain by Republicans would create a 20-20 split in the chamber but effectively give Republicans control of the Senate since Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling casts tie-breaking vote.
But Republicans are moving forward on the assumption Reeves has won, even though Reeves’ campaign is reluctant to assume the race is over.
“We’re confident that the votes are going to stand but obviously there’s a process that needs to take place here,” Reeves’ campaign manager, Chris Leavitt, told The Washington Examiner.
If Reeves’ victory holds, Republicans will control the statehouse’s executive and legislative branches for just the second time since the Civil War.
During the last and only 20-20 split from 1995-1999, Democrats and Republicans shared power in committees, the gatekeepers in deciding what bills move forward to the full Senate. But Bolling said Wednesday that Republicans intend to run the Senate as if they have an outright majority.
“We not only anticipate it, we’re looking forward to it,” Bolling said.
That means a slew of conservative bills that have died in the Democratic Senate — from restricting abortions and drug testing welfare recipients to creating a school voucher program and an Arizona-style immigration law — could gain traction.
“To take to the bully pulpit and say, ‘We’re going to take charge of the Senate,’ maybe they do have that authority but that’s not the way to run the state,” said Sen. Chuck Colgan, D-Prince William. “If they’re going to run it as though [the Senate] is their power base, I would think it would create too much friction.”
