ELECTION 2022
Virginia Elections Board certifies midterm results with no drama
Virginia’s Republican-controlled State Board of Elections certified the midterm election results in a drama-free, unanimous vote Monday. The vote, which occurred with little discussion and no public comments objecting to the procedure, finalizes a disappointing election cycle for the state GOP. The party gained one additional seat in the state’s congressional delegation after state Sen. […]
Write-in candidates span the spectrum in midterm elections
By Darlene Johnson / Capital News Service RICHMOND, Va. – How exactly would Wile E. Coyote or SpongeBob SquarePants represent their 7th District constituents in Congress if they had garnered enough write-in votes to best the official candidates? And who would run it better — Jesus Christ or Yeezy? Those were just a few of […]
Maybe it’s not just ‘the economy, stupid’: winners and losers from the 2022 midterms
Elections have a clarifying, refreshing effect. Whether at the local, state or national level, an election authoritatively settles things. A nation whipsawed and left on edge for months on end at last gets relief from a hyperventilating, self-contradicting media, venomous political ads, and pundits who know nothing and race to the nearest microphone to discuss […]
Young Black and Latino voters seen as key in turning back midterm ‘red wave’
WASHINGTON — Young Black and Latino voters were critical in holding off the Republican “red wave” in several battleground states for U.S. Senate seats and in tight U.S. House races in the midterm elections, according to analyses by researchers and grassroot organizations. Young, diverse voters between the ages of 18 and 29 had the second-highest youth […]
A brief look at Virginia’s midterm outcomes since 1960
1966 – As LBJ and Democrats’ historic grip on the South slips, the GOP gains two of Virginia’s 10 House seats, cutting Dems’ majority from 8-2 to 6-4 and beginning a multiyear upward trajectory for Republicans. 1970 – A one-seat gain gives the GOP its first delegation majority (6-4) since Reconstruction. It lasts 16 years. […]
Vega concedes to Spanberger, ending Virginia’s 7th District contest
Republican Yesli Vega conceded to Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger Wednesday in Virginia’s closely watched 7th Congressional District election, saying, “We gave it our all, but came up a little short last night.” “I want to congratulate the congresswoman on a hard fought win,” Vega, a Prince William County supervisor, said in a statement posted to […]
Kiggans ousts Luria, but Democrats keep Virginia losses to a minimum
Republicans flipped their easiest Virginia target in Tuesday’s midterm elections but fell short of their high expectations as Democrats successfully defended two other contested seats. State Sen. Jen Kiggans, a Republican from Virginia Beach, defeated Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria by roughly four percentage points in the Hampton Roads-focused 2nd District, the seat most likely to […]
Midterm voting mostly problem-free in battleground states, voting advocates report
As of midday Tuesday, voting across the country has largely gone smoothly without any major issues or incidents of voter intimidation, voting rights advocates said. In counties that did experience problems, which were typical of any Election Day, the incidents were largely attributed to faulty technology and human error. In Maricopa County, Arizona, one of […]
Virginia Election Day 2022: Updates
As Virginians head to the polls today, Mercury staff are covering how the election unfolds across the commonwealth. On the Nov. 8, 2022 ballot: all 11 Virginia seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The big ones to watch: 2nd Congressional District: Democratic incumbent Elaine Luria v. Republican challenger Jen Kiggans 7th Congressional District: Democratic […]
Election Day is today. Here’s what to know.
As it does every year in Virginia — one of just four states in the U.S. to hold general elections every single year — Election Day has arrived. Campaigns have dragged on for months. Pundits have pontificated. Polls have been cast, collected, analyzed and publicized. Now it comes down to this: each one of us […]
Virginia midterms could be early sign of whether GOP can match ‘megawave’ hype
As he took the stage last month at a 90s nostalgia restaurant in central Virginia — next to a mural that said “It was all a dream” — Gov. Glenn Youngkin assured an enthusiastic Republican crowd his 2021 victory was no off-year fluke. “Can you feel it?” Youngkin said. “It’s happening again.” Youngkin told the […]
Board of Elections
From The Virginia Mercury: “‘It’s not a good time to be an election official right now,’ Olsen said as he publicly announced his departure. ‘And I think there’s legitimate fear about what could come down the road for people who are just trying to do their jobs.’ … Democratic [Board of Election member Keith Scarborough] […]