RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Republicans have 25 of 40 Virginia Senate candidates set for the Nov. 7 state elections as the party looks to take control of the General Assembly’s upper chamber.
Two state lawmakers backed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) won GOP nominating contests on May 6, according to an email from a Republican Senate caucus spokesman.
State Sen. Bryce E. Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) secured the Republican nomination in the 28th state Senate District in a party canvass and Del. John J. McGuire (R-Goochland) won the party’s nomination in the 10th District in a convention.
Both are favorites to win the Senate seats as the newly redrawn districts heavily favor Republican candidates, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Republicans hope to flip state Senate districts as the party seeks to win control of the chamber and maintain a majority in the House of Delegates this November, a scenario that would give the GOP total control of the state government and bolster Youngkin’s political agenda next year.
Virginia’s 10th state Senate District stretches from close to Lynchburg to the east of the town of Ashland in Hanover County, a county that makes up the largest share of the district. It also includes a part of Louisa County, a very small portion of Henrico and Powhatan, Goochland, and Fluvanna counties.
The 28th Virginia Senate District is made up of parts of Fauquier and Spotsylvania counties. It also includes Culpeper, Orange, Greene, Madison and Rappahannock counties.
The party now needs to pick nominees for the 15 remaining districts, seven of which will be chosen in the June 20 primaries. The district’s legislative committees will determine the other eight nominees, the email said.
All 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly are up for grabs in the November state elections, the first contests under newly drawn legislative districts. The Supreme Court of Virginia approved the new political maps after the state underwent its federally mandated redistricting process.
