Democrats regain control of Virginia House of Delegates in rebuke to Youngkin

Virginia Democrats regained their majority in the House of Delegates, flipping control of the state’s lower chamber in a stunning rebuke to Republicans who sought to defend their slim majority and continue pushing their conservative agenda in the commonwealth.

Democrats managed to regain control of the House after flipping a handful of seats in key districts, marking a crucial win for the party as they seek to thwart Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s agenda on key issues such as abortion, education, and the economy. The victory hands the majority back to Democrats after Republicans won narrow control of the chamber in 2021, giving Democrats control of both chambers of the state legislature heading into the 2024 cycle.

STATE RACES TO WATCH IN THE 2023 ELECTIONS

The victory also deals a blow to Youngkin when it comes to national ambitions, as it has been widely speculated the Virginia governor could declare a late presidential bid depending on how well Republicans performed in the off-year elections.

Although Youngkin himself was not on the 2023 ballot, the first-term governor made himself a constant presence on the campaign trail, stumping for GOP candidates and donating millions of dollars from his political action committee to boost local GOP efforts.

He leaned into abortion and campaigned on a 15-week abortion restriction with exceptions for rape, incest, and saving the life of the mother. Youngkin called it a “reasonable” position for the last state in the South that permitted terminating pregnancies through the second trimester.

The Virginia elections often serve as a bellwether for the 2024 presidential cycle, giving a sneak peek to the challenges former President Donald Trump will face as he seeks reelection. Many of the battleground seats in Virginia represent districts that have increasingly distanced themselves from the former president but the voters have indicated they could still lean Republican.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Many of these districts voted for President Joe Biden in 2020 before flipping to support Youngkin when he ran against Democrat Terry McAuliffe in 2021 — making him the first Republican governor since 2009 and marking a shift in power in the state government.

Virginia’s off-year elections are also considered a good test of how the following year will go on the federal level as Republicans and Democrats experiment with different campaign issues to craft their winning message. Abortion remained a top issue among both Democrats and Republicans in Virginia, meaning it could once again play an outside role in the 2024 cycle.