RICHMOND, Va. (CN) — Virginia Democrats declared victory in both the Senate and House of Delegates late Tuesday evening.
With all 140 legislature seats on the ballot, Democrats led 21 seats to 18 in the Senate with one undecided and 51 to 48 in the House of Delegates with one seat uncertain as of 2:30 a.m. ET, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
"It's official: there will be absolutely no abortion ban legislation sent to Glenn Youngkin's desk for the duration of his term in office, period, as we have thwarted MAGA Republicans' attempt to take total control of our government and our bodies," Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie Locke said in a statement. "Even Youngkin's efforts to buy the election and purge eligible voters from the rolls could not overwrite the will of the people."
Republicans controlled the House of Delegates, the lower body of the legislature, in the 2023 session. Democrats acted as a brick wall in the Senate, foiling Republican-backed bills before they could reach Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin's desk.
Youngkin took his task as party leader seriously, featuring in political advertisements, attending campaign events and shelling out over $1.5 million to his political action committee Spirit of Virginia, which topped all donors with nearly $15 million spent, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
"The Senate Democratic Caucus proved tonight that the emperor has no clothes except for a red sweater vest," Senate Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Scott Surovell said in a statement.
Following Virginia's nonpartisan redistricting process that pits incumbents against incumbents in some districts and moves others to unfriendly territory, 28 lawmakers announced their retirement after last spring's session. Redistricting created competitive districts in the suburbs of Richmond, Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.
Virginia is the last southern state not to pass restrictions on abortion since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court. Youngkin has advocated for the passage of a 15-week abortion ban with exceptions for rape, incest and to protect the mother's life. Abortion is currently legal in Virginia for any reason up to the end of the second trimester, or about 26 weeks.
Nurse Kirstin Tanner cast her vote in Senate District 16 and said for her, protecting abortion access was a key factor in voting Democrat.
"Abortion laws and everything that's going on with Roe v. Wade being overturned recently, that's been the biggest thing for me," Tanner said.
Democratic Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg, a civics teacher who campaigned on protecting abortion access, defeated incumbent Senator Siobhan Dunnavant in the new Senate District 16, encompassing parts of suburban Richmond's Henrico County. The candidates each raised slightly over $5 million in a race that brought out over 79,000 voters.
VanValkenburg pulled 54.30% of the votes with all precincts reporting. Despite several outlets reporting VanValkenburg's victory, Dunnavant told supporters at a watch party that she was not conceding at least until the morning when all early votes have been counted.
In a race between newcomers for House District 21, encompassing parts of Prince William County in Northern Virginia, Democrat Marine-turn-attorney Josh Thomas defeated Republican commercial real estate broker John Stirrup with 51.48% of the votes, with all precincts reporting.
Thomas raised over $3 million, with most funds coming from the House Democratic Caucus and Clean Virginia, a PAC focused on promoting renewable energy sources. Stirrup raised $2 million with significant donations from the state's Republican party and Spirit of Virginia.
"Our Commonwealth is facing real challenges, which is why the fundamental question of our campaign asked again and again was: what can we do for working families?" Thomas said in a statement. "The answer is going to take real leadership, and I'm excited to make real change in the House of Delegates."
House District 57 in Henrico and Goochland County was too close to call, with nurse Susanna Gibson leading retired Republican general contractor David Owen with 51.29% of the votes and 16 of 19 precincts reporting.
Gibson made international news after the Washington Post reported that she and her husband used Chaturbate to stream themselves having sex for tips. Republicans came under fire in October when they mailed explicit fliers containing screenshots of Gibson's streams to voters.
Democrat college auditor Kimberly Pope Adams had 51.05% of the vote against incumbent Republican delegate and business owner Kim Taylor, with all precincts reporting in House District 82. The newly drawn district south of Richmond contains parts of Dinwiddie County, Prince George County, and Petersburg. It is a majority-Black district that swung for Youngkin in 2021 but voted blue in the 2022 U.S. House of Representative elections.
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