Democrats maintain slim majority in Virginia General Assembly after winning two special elections

Democrats won two special elections Tuesday to fill open seats in the Virginia General Assembly, strengthening the party's tight grip on power in Richmond. The contests came after governor-elect and Democratic figurehead Abigail Spanberger decided to bring several incumbent lawmakers into her incoming administration ahead of her inauguration next week.

In state House of Delegates District 11, which covers parts of Fairfax County, voters elected Gretchen Bulova to replace her husband and outgoing Democratic delegate, David Bulova, who will leave the Legislatureto take over as the state's secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. For its part, the 23rd House of Delegates district also remained in Democratic hands following the victory of Margaret Angela Franklin, who is a Prince William County supervisor. With her win, Franklin replaces Democratic delegate Candi Mundon King, who is scheduled to take over as secretary of the Commonwealth.

While Democrats were heavily favored in both races, being districts that former Vice President Kamala Harris won by more than 30 points in 2024, the victories are strategically important as the party seeks to preserve its razor-thin 49-48 majority in the House of Delegates. Control is nearly as tight in the state Senate, where Democrats hold a 21-19 advantage, as lawmakers prepare to tackle key issues, including constitutional amendments on abortion access or mid-decade redistricting.