Va. delegate races "this is a tsunami” said House Democratic Caucus Leader

Dems unseat GOP in slew of Va. delegate races; Roem will become 1st transgender House member | WTOP:

“People are talking about this as a wave. Well, let me tell you, this is a tsunami,” said House Democratic Caucus Leader David Toscano about Democratic victories Tuesday during remarks at a rally for Democratic Gov.-elect Ralph Northam. “And people all across this country are looking at Virginia to see what we did here.” Toscano told The Associated Press the last time Democrats picked up more than five seats in an election was 1975. Two years ago, Democrats picked up just a single seat. This year saw the highest number of House of Delegates races contested by both major political parties in two decades, energized by Democratic opposition to Trump and an increasingly polarized national political climate.  Democrats also triumphed in the three statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
“Obviously, tonight was a difficult night and the outcome is not what anyone expected,” Matt Moran, spokesman for the House Republican Caucus, said in a statement.


Roem will become 1st transgender House member
In one of the most closely watched races, Democrat Danica Roem, a local journalist, defeated Republican Del. Bob Marshall in Virginia’s 13th District.  carried 54 percent of the vote.  13th District incls parts of Prince William County and Manassas Park.
Bob Marshall introduced Virginia’s version of the so-called “bathroom bill.” He refused to debate Roem referred to her using male pronouns.


In another upset, Lee Carter, a Navy veteran and self-described Democratic socialist, unseated Republican Del. Jackson Miller, a member of GOP leadership in Richmond, in the 51st District, which also includes parts of Prince William County.


As of 10:30 p.m. on Election Day, Democrats had flipped seats in at least 14 districts, according to vote tallies from the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. The gains bested Democrats’ most optimistic scenarios for Election Day, and a handful of additional races were still too close to call and likely headed for recounts.     Republicans currently outnumber Democrats in the House 66 to 34.

// if win 17? ie 3 more, wld flip the House?  ie D majority.
as of now R 66 -14 seats = 52.    if -3 then 49.  /so y. 
as of now D 34 + 14 seats = 48.  if +3 then 51.    :)
if +2 tied 



Election Results: Virginia – Election Results 2017 – The New York Times
Virginians voted in races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and the state legislature on Tuesday. The state’s 100 House of Delegate races represent the purest test of grass-roots anger at the president, election analysts said. That is because [in State legislature elections] the candidates are little known to voters, largely absent from TV ads, and /therefore, bcs hardly based on sense of specific persons/ the races approximate a generic partisan ballot. /ie ppl vote their party. If the past is a guide, [State legislature elections] may also prefigure nationwide congressional voting in 2018.

House of Delegates Dem. 48 (+14 seats) Rep. 47
// nice  showing five races tied ~ 49-50% each.
 three in pale red three in pale blue. if goes that way, then splits the House evenly.