Staff Reports
In a rather amusing twist, while the political world fixated on the seemingly monumental matters—like House speaker votes and President Trump’s whimsical fantasy of buying Greenland—Virginia quietly staged an election that would send shockwaves through its political landscape. Tuesday’s special election saw three consequential seats up for grabs in the Virginia legislature, but unfortunately for conservatives, the end results were less than ideal.
The House of Delegates saw Democrat JJ Singh triumph over Republican Ram Venkatachalam, snagging about 61.6% of the vote. Cumulatively, this didn’t just give Singh a shiny new title; it secured Democrat control of the state House, swinging the balance slightly in favor of the left with a slim 51-49 edge. Not to be outdone, Democrats had their marching orders set up well before election day and funneled cash like a drunken sailor to ensure victory. If a politician has a slow day, just remember—no amount of cash seemed too extreme for the Democrats to throw at these races, perhaps hoping to erase the stench left by their presidential defeat just months prior.
We’re thrilled to welcome Delegate-Elect @SinghforVA to the Virginia House Democratic Caucus! His victory marks a win for progress, and we look forward to working together to move Virginia forward! pic.twitter.com/Bv00jXIS0i
— VA House Democrats (@VAHouseDems) January 8, 2025
The Senate races were a mixed bag for Republicans. The 32nd district saw Democrat Kannan Srinivasan wiggle his way into victory over Republican Tumay Harding, another resounding 61.3% to 38.7% win. This would likely be celebrated at the local Democrat headquarters as a continuation of their “fight against extremism.” There’s nothing quite like a tidy election win to gloss over the previous election’s disaster; you’d think they were getting manuals on how to spin a failed presidency into something that sounds like a step in the right direction.
The silver lining for Republicans, however, emerged from the 10th district Senate seat, where Luther Cifers crushed Democrat John Trammell by over 17 points. Cifers not only secured the seat but also graciously acknowledged the weight of the constituents’ trust placed upon him. That’s one Republican victory in the bag—just enough to hope for some semblance of dignity in a otherwise disheartening election day.
Despite the glimmer of hope provided by Cifers’ win, the overall atmosphere feels a bit dreary for the GOP in Virginia. With Srinivasan’s victory inflating the Democrat numbers in the state Senate to a precarious 21-19, the state feels ever so slightly more blue. This is the bye product of tireless fundraising and a well-tuned echo of rhetoric that implies any critique of leftist policies is tantamount to “extremism”—clearly an effective narrative for those in power, at least within the confines of the Democrat echo chamber.
Ultimately, these races illustrate a classic struggle, one where Democrats will continue to tout their electoral wins as a necessary antidote to “extremism,” while Republicans grumble about the absurdity of an electoral system that rewards leftist candidates with bumpers of funding and enthusiastic messaging. Virginia appears to be caught in a tango—one that seems increasingly tilted toward the left. One has to wonder if anyone over at the DNC might explore thanking the man in the Oval Office for providing the perfect foil to rally against in upcoming years. At this rate, the jokes practically write themselves.
