Three special elections are set to take place in Virginia on Tuesday, with voters in Loudoun County and state Senate District 10 heading to the polls. The elections could determine control of the narrowly divided state Senate and House. In Loudoun County, state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam’s election to Congress has led to a special election for his seat, as well as for a state House vacancy. The nominees to replace Subramanyam are Democratic state Del. Kannan Srinivasan and Republican Tumay Harding, with Democrat JJ Singh and Republican Ram Venkatachalam running to replace Srinivasan in the House of Delegates. In state Senate District 10, voters will elect a replacement for Republican state Sen. John McGuire, who was elected to Congress. The nominees are Republican Luther Cifers and Democrat Jack Trammell.
The state Senate and House seats in Loudoun County are generally Democratic-leaning, with former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and President Joe Biden carrying the districts with over 60% of the vote in previous elections. In contrast, voters in state Senate District 10 have leaned towards Republicans in past elections, with McGuire running unopposed for his seat in 2023. Democrats currently hold slim majorities in both the state Senate and House of Delegates. If Republicans hold McGuire’s Senate seat and Democrats lose in either of the Loudoun County races, control of the state Senate could shift to Republicans or lead to a power-sharing agreement in the House of Delegates, which Democrats reclaimed control of after the 2023 elections.
The Associated Press does not make projections and will only declare a winner when it’s determined that no scenario could allow trailing candidates to close the gap. The AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments in the special elections, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. Voters registered in state Senate Districts 10 and 32, as well as state House District 26, are eligible to participate in the special elections. Turnout in past elections in these districts has varied, with about 38-42% of registered voters participating. Vote-counting typically takes several hours, with the AP reporting results soon after polls close.
The special election day in Virginia on Tuesday will see voters in three districts casting their ballots to fill state Senate and House vacancies. The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in the contests for state Senate Districts 10 and 32, as well as state House District 26. Turnout is expected based on previous elections, with no party registration in Virginia allowing voters to participate in these special elections regardless of party affiliation. The results will provide insight into the balance of power in the state legislature, with potential implications for future governance and decision-making in Virginia. As of these elections, there are 301 days until Virginia’s general elections for governor and state House of Delegates, highlighting the importance of these special elections in shaping the political landscape of the state.
