Democrats are projected to maintain control of the Virginia Senate and appear to have a slight edge in closely contested races for the state’s House of Delegates in legislative elections that shaped up to be a major ballot test for the political capital of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. 

After 11:25 p.m. Tuesday, the Associated Press projected Democrats would keep the state Senate. The AP and The Washington Post indicated a Democrat edge in House races; however, many races were too close to call as of publication time.

Going into the elections, Republicans held a slim 52-48 majority in the state House of Delegates, while Democrats held an equally slim 22-17 majority in the state Senate. One Senate seat was vacated by a Republican member. 

Tuesday marked the first election since the Virginia Supreme Court approved the new legislative district map in December 2021, as voters cast ballots for all 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly. 

Democratic President Joe Biden reportedly endorsed 23 of his party’s candidates in battleground districts and sent out fundraising emails that claimed, “Governor Glenn Youngkin and extreme Republicans have made it clear that they’re trying to take our country back on issues like choice.”

Democrats blanketed airwaves with pro-abortion campaign ads throughout the cycle to rally the party’s base to the polls, as off-year elections generally rely on parties’ bases more than swing voters. Youngkin supports restricting abortion to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy, which would make the state consistent with most Western European countries.

Youngkin won in November 2021, defeating former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe after running on education-related issues. 

Noting that Democrats have had an advantage in early and absentee voting in the past elections, Youngkin and Virginia Republicans promoted early voting and absentee voting in the state as part of a “Secure Your Vote” initiative. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump discouraged mail-in voting, even as Democrats were heavily pushing it. 

Among the most closely watched Virginia races flagged by ABC News, the Associated Press, and other national media: 

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