Republicans Officially Lose Virginia House Majority

By Neil Stevens | 4:45 PM on December 19, 2017

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is introduced by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe at a campaign event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., Monday, Feb. 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Molly Riley)

The Donald Trump effect is on in Virginia as, after a bloodbath of an election night in November, Republicans have now officially lost the House of Delegates.

Going into the 2017 elections, Republicans held a supermajority in the House of Delegates. A 66-34 advantage ensured nothing would get done that Republicans did not want to have happen. But in the general election last month, Republicans got wiped out.

Sixteen Republican seats have now fallen. It was fifteen going into today but a recount in the 94th district (Newport News) was completed. On election night the count was 11,601 for Republican David Yancey, and 11,591 for Democrat Shelly Simonds. After the recount, the result flipped: Simonds won by one vote, 11,608-11,607.

Simonds represents the 50th vote for the Democrats, guaranteeing Republicans have lost control of the chamber, completing a historic wipeout of the party after only one year of the Trump Presidency.