Del. Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Richmond, easily won election to the state Senate in a special election Tuesday in District 9. She will replace Democrat A. Donald McEachin, who was elected to Congress in November from the 4th District. Republicans appeared headed for a win in District 22, formerly held by Rep. Thomas A. Garrett Jr., R-5th. That would enable the GOP to retain its 21-19 control of the Senate.
Virginia voters are picking two state senators in a special election that could effectively hand control of that chamber from Republicans to Democrats. Tuesday's elections in the 9th and 22nd Senate districts are being held to replace a Republican and Democrat who were elected to Congress. If Democrats win both, they would effectively gain Senate control because of Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam's status as a tiebreaker.
Because of Saturday’s snowstorm, the commissioner of Virginia’s Department of Elections has extended until 2 p.m. today the deadline to vote absentee in person in Tuesday’s three special elections. The elections, coming a day before the General Assembly session begins, will fill the seats of three former legislators who were sworn in last week as members of Congress — Reps. A. Donald McEachin, D-4th, and Thomas A. Garrett Jr., R-5th, both former state senators; and Rep. Scott W. Taylor, R-2nd, a former member of the House of Delegates.
Virginia voters across the state will pick three new members of the General Assembly in a special election next week that could determine the balance of power in the state Senate. Gov. Terry McAuliffe set the election for Tuesday to replace the state lawmakers who were elected to Congress in November.
Libertarian activist Corey Fauconier has qualified to have his name on the ballot in a special election next month for the Richmond area’s 9th District state Senate seat. Fauconier, a Highland Springs resident who works for a van transportation company that serves railroads, will appear on the ballot as an independent, state officials said Wednesday, along with Del. Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Richmond.
Democratic Del. Jennifer L. McClellan won’t face Republican opposition as she seeks to move up to the Virginia Senate, but at least one other candidate has filed paperwork to get on the ballot for the open seat. Libertarian activist Corey Fauconier filed paperwork with the Virginia Department of Elections by Monday’s 5 p.m. filing deadline, according to state officials. The filing is under review to ensure Fauconier met all requirements for ballot access, including the submission of 250 petition signatures from voters in the district.