Virginia

We successfully defended the Senate majority and flipped two seats to build a new majority in the House of Delegates! This performance in Virginia state legislative races was historic — it was the first time both chambers were lost under a sitting Virginia governor in more than 50 years. Every potential tipping point seat identified and funded by The States Project was crucial in powering new one-seat majorities in both chambers.

While the rightwing regained control of the House of Delegates, our work in the districts with the closest margins meant that if 400 votes across three districts had gone the other way, we would have held the House majority.

• Three of the candidates we supported won their seats.
• Five candidates we supported lost by margins of 5 percent or less.

The States Project helped flip the House of Delegates, building a Democratic trifecta in the state for the first time since 1993! Our electoral effort helped to create a new majority of Virginia lawmakers who passed policy after policy to improve lives.

• 11 candidates we supported won their seats, including three challengers who flipped seats to shift the balance of power in the state.
• We supported eight incumbents whom we had supported in 2017 who were running for re-election. Half of these races were decided within 10 percent, and despite a tougher electorate, those incumbents performed as well as they had in 2017.

In The States Project’s earliest work in state legislative races, we helped flip enough seats in the House of Delegates to come within one seat of ending rightwing control in the chamber.