Democrats sweep Virginia legislature in blow to Gov. Glenn Youngkin

Democrats in Virginia on Tuesday night retained their majority in the state Senate — a blow to Republicans who were hoping to achieve total control of the state legislature and boost Gov. Glenn Youngkin in his final two years in office. 

The GOP also lost control of Virginia’s House of Delegates, with Democrats set to win at least 51 seats in the 100-member lower chamber. 

Tuesday night represented the first good news for Democrats in the commonwealth since Youngkin upset former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2021, making gains in districts that had voted for President Biden 12 months earlier by running on issues such as public safety and greater parental roles in education.

The results also demonstrated the limits of Republican messaging on key issues ahead of next year’s presidential and congressional elections.

“We’ve empowered parents and provided tutoring to combat learning loss; made historic investments in law enforcement and mental health services; signed $5 billion in tax relief and added 230,000 new jobs,” Youngkin declared in a Nov. 1 video announcement touting his administration’s successes.