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Democrat wins Virginia state Senate special election

Democrats held two Richmond-area House seats in special elections triggered by appointments to Gov.-Elect Abigail Spanberger's cabinet, maintaining party control amid legislative turnover.

  • Today is the last day for residents in House Districts 11 and 23 to register to vote for the January 13, 2026 special elections triggered by Gov.-Elect Abigail Spanberger's cabinet appointments.
  • Several recent resignations created the vacancies that prompted the special ballots, including Ghazala Hashmi, Richmond-area senator and newly elected lieutenant governor, and several Democratic lawmakers accepting administration appointments.
  • Early voting runs through Saturday, Jan. 10, with Gretchen Bulova facing Adam Wise in House District 11 and Margaret Franklin against Verndell Robinson in House District 23.
  • The victors will be sworn in at the start of the 2026 General Assembly session and serve through Jan. 11, 2028, preserving party margins as lawmakers convene Tuesday.
  • In recent weeks, Democratic leaders say Virginia special elections have strained logistics but not changed policy, with three additional contests already on the calendar or expected soon.
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vpm.org broke the news in on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
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