Democrats defended their slim majority in the Virginia Senate, dealing a blow to state Republicans who sought to flip the upper chamber and gain complete control of the state legislature next year.
Democrats’ ability to maintain control of the Senate is crucial to the party’s ability to thwart Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s efforts to implement new abortion restrictions in the states as well as other conservative policies. Over the last two years, the Senate has been the only tool Democrats could use against Youngkin and the GOP-controlled House of Delegates to block the governor’s agenda.
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The victory also deals a blow to Youngkin when it comes to his 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.
Control of the Virginia House was too close to call at of 11:30 p.m. EDT, but Democrats were on track to make gains.
Although Youngkin himself was not on the 2023 ballot, the first-term governor made himself a constant presence on the campaign trail, stumping for Republican candidates and donating millions of dollars from his political action committee to boost local GOP efforts.
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 with voters who have indicated they could still lean Republican.
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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 test of how the following year will fare 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.