Here in Virginia, Democrats Capture the House & Senate for the First Time in 26 Years

Virginia has long been considered a swing state, but it has been trending more blue in recent years, and President Trump is quite unpopular in the Commonwealth. Additionally, most of the state's population growth is in the Democratic strongholds of Richmond, Hampton Roads, and the Washington suburbs. And, yesterday, Democratic candidates were able to flip several seats in those areas to gain control of the House of Delegates and state Senate for the first time since 1994.

The victory was even more impressive because Democrats also held onto all 15 House seats they had just captured from Republicans in 2017.

Democratic Governor Ralph Northam will now have a more progressive legislature to work with in Virginia and his priorities include raising the minimum wage to $15, tightening criminal background checks for gun purchases, and passing a state Equal Rights Amendment that would provide greater civil rights protections to women and LGBTQ individuals. Democrats will also be in charge of the redistricting process that will begin in 2021, after completion of the census.

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By: Don Lam