A pedestrian remains hospitalized two days after he was hit by a driver on Route 29 in the West Falls Church area, police say.
Medics and police were dispatched to Route 29 at the Hollywood Road intersection around 8:07 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 11), according to scanner traffic on Open MHz.
A 911 caller reported that a blue Tesla struck a pedestrian, who was injured, a police dispatcher told responding officers at 8:07 p.m. The Fairfax County Police Department didn’t confirm the type of vehicle involved in the crash by press time.
The pedestrian, an adult man, was transported to a hospital with injuries initially considered life-threatening, police said. Eastbound Route 29 was shut down at the intersection while police investigated the crash.
As of this morning (Monday), the man is still in the hospital, but his condition “has been upgraded to non-life threatening,” according to the FCPD.
Police say that the driver in the crash remained on the scene and “has cooperated fully” with the investigation, which is still active.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that alcohol may have been a contributing factor for the pedestrian, but a thorough examination is ongoing,” an FCPD spokesperson told FFXnow. “It is important to note that speed and alcohol do not appear to be contributing factors on the part of the driver.”
According to state data, this is the fourth crash at the Route 29 and Hollywood intersection since 2020 where a pedestrian got injured. Crashes with injuries occurred in February 2020, March 2022 and January of this year, but there haven’t been any fatal crashes involving pedestrians since the Department of Motor Vehicles started the online database in 2010.
Officers are on scene of a crash involving a pedestrian at Rt 29 & Hollywood Rd in West Falls Church. The pedestrian, an adult man, was taken to the hospital w/life-threatening injuries. The driver stayed on scene. E/B Lee hwy is closed at Hollywood Rd. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/e1esFGTnar
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 12, 2023
Teen Arrested for Hybla Valley Shooting — “Preliminarily, Major Crimes Bureau detectives determined the victim was walking to a nearby apartment. He was approached by the 14-year-old suspect who displayed a firearm and shot the victim. A nearby home was also struck by one round, where no one was injured.” The teen was taken into custody Saturday (Nov. 11) evening after his mother brought him to the Mount Vernon District Station. [FCPD]
Occoquan Dam Siren Will Go Off Tomorrow — “Fairfax Water has scheduled its annual siren system test for the Occoquan Dam on Tuesday, Nov.14, at 10 a.m. This is a routine test to ensure the siren system is functioning properly in the unlikely event of a dam failure.” [Fairfax County Emergency Information]
First Responders Rescue Trapped Driver in Tysons — “#FCPD officers assisted as @ffxfirerescue cut the roof off an overturned vehicle to get the trapped driver out after a crash near Anderson Rd & Chain Bridge Rd. The driver went to the hospital w/ injuries not considered to be life-threatening. Remember to drive safely.” [FCPD/Twitter, FCFRD/Twitter]
Neighbors Oppose Two New Oakton Houses — “The Fairfax County Planning Commission on Nov. 1 unanimously recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a rezoning and special-exception request that would result in two new houses in Oakton and preserve an existing historic structure…Several neighboring residents testified against the application,” fearing it will set a bad precedent. [Gazette Leader]
Affordable Housing Waitlists Open for Seniors — “Older adults interested in applying to affordable housing waitlists will have the opportunity to do so November 13-19, 2023 for select properties in the county.” Options include one-bedroom apartments at The Fallstead in McLean and The Belmont currently under construction near George Mason University’s Fairfax campus as part of the One University development. [FCRHA]
Fairfax Man Wins $5 Million in Lottery — “A man in Fairfax, Virginia, decided on a whim to buy a few scratch-off tickets from the lottery machine after doing some grocery shopping. And that decision paid off. Alexandr Pichshev recently won $5 million on the ‘$326,000,000 Fortune ticket’ scratch-off game at the Safeway at 3043 Nutley Street.” [WTOP]
Reston Tech Startup Raises $5 Million — “After nabbing a $5 million seed round, NoVa’s Tidal Cyber is planning to make waves in the local industry. Tidal Cyber, a 20-person startup based in Reston, was founded by CEO Rick Gordon, CTO Richard Struse and CIO Frank Duff — all MITRE veterans.” [Technical.ly]
More Art Decorates Richmond Highway — “Murals, sculptures and other forms of public art are on the increase around Richmond Highway as Fairfax County officials and placemaking experts attempt to create a greater sense of community and identity around the corridor. This past week, artist Nico Cathcart…started work on the long-awaited mural at ZIPS Cleaners on North Kings Highway near South Alex.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with temperatures reaching a high of around 57 degrees. Monday night remains clear, with lows around 41 degrees. The southwest wind of 7 to 9 mph will shift to a northwest direction after midnight. [Weather.gov]
State Sen. Jennifer Boysko has launched a campaign for the 10th District seat in Congress (courtesy Jennifer Boysko for Congress)
State Sen. Jennifer Boysko has joined the race to replace Rep. Jennifer Wexton as Virginia’s 10th Congressional District representative.
Boysko announced her candidacy today (Thursday), just two days after winning reelection as senator for the 38th District, which encompasses Reston, Herndon, McLean and Great Falls. The district includes portions of the former 32nd District represented by State Sen. Janet Howell, who opted not to seek reelection after redistricting paired her with Boysko.
“From the PTA to the state Senate, I’ve always brought people together to find common ground and work towards common sense solutions,” Boysko said in her campaign announcement. “In Washington, I’ll continue to build on the work of Congresswoman Wexton to bring a better future for our kids and make life better for Virginia’s workers and families. This grassroots campaign to fight for what’s right starts right here, right now. I ask for your vote.”
Boysko’s new campaign website highlights access to abortion, gun violence prevention and “economic policies that work for everyone and lift people up” as the issues central to her platform.
Boysko previously served in the House of Delegates, representing the 86th District from 2016 to 2019, when she got elected to the Senate to replace Wexton, who had just been elected to Congress in 2018.
Wexton said on Sept. 18 that she won’t seek reelection next year after getting a rare neurological disorder called Progressive Supra-nuclear Palsy. Initially diagnosed as Parkinson’s disease, the condition affects “body movements, walking and balance, and eye movements” and has no treatment, she said in her announcement.
Boysko’s competition for the 10th Congressional District — which covers Loudoun and Prince William counties — includes former House of Delegates speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and Mike Clancy, a Loudoun County resident, lawyer and business executive, per his campaign site.
Currently representing Fairfax County from Mantua to Burke as the 41st House District delegate, Filler-Corn announced this spring that she wouldn’t seek reelection, a move that prompted speculation of a potential run for governor. She launched her bid for Wexton’s seat on Oct. 18.
Clancy previously sought a Republican nomination for the 10th District in 2022.
With the Congressional election not coming until 2024, Boysko said in a statement to FFXnow that she remains committed to serving in the state legislature for the upcoming session, citing paid family medical leave as one of her top priorities:
I’ve had a lot of my constituents that have called and asked me if I would run for Congress. They believe that I’m the right person for the job, having represented half of Loudoun County over the past five years, having been in this community for 20 years, helping solve problems. I think my constituents want to see me work at a higher level as an asset and an ally in the Commonwealth of Virginia to make sure we’re getting stuff done.
As for the state Senate, the election’s not until next year, and I look forward to serving in this 2024 General Assembly Session. There’s a lot that I want to get done. Thanks to the hard work of our candidates, we just won the majority in the House and the Senate. I want to get paid family medical leave done at the state level, and I believe that I’ll be able to do that during this session. I’m looking forward to this next year.
Boysko filed a bill during the 2023 General Assembly session that would’ve established a statewide paid family and medical leave program, starting in 2026, but the legislation was left in committee.
Thanksgiving is still two weeks away, but Christmas is already in the air at Tysons Corner Center.
After adding holiday decor to its Plaza earlier this month, including a 40-foot-tall walk-in tree, 10-foot-tall snowflakes and a sleigh, the mall rolled out the red carpet today (Thursday) for Santa Claus, who arrived at 7:30 a.m. for a VIP event in Fashion Court on the first floor outside Nordstrom.
The festivities included holiday cookie decorating, letter-writing and gift bags.
Participants were required to donate $10 Best Buddies, which offers mentorship and support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The nonprofit relocated its Virginia and D.C. office to Tysons Corner Center last year.
Santa will be in town for photos through Dec. 24. Sessions are available from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays, though hours may vary on holidays.
Walk-in visitors will be accepted, but Tysons Corner Center advises pre-booking a time slot to reduce wait times.
Now in his 33rd year appearing at the mall, Santa’s stay will include Pet Nights on Nov. 20 and 27 and Dec. 4, along with a breakfast from 8-9:30 a.m. in the third-level food court on Dec. 2. The breakfast is free for all and will include entertainment, face-painting and other family-friendly activities.
Tysons Corner Center will officially kick off the winter holidays with its annual tree lighting ceremony in the Plaza at 6-8 p.m. on Nov. 17. The “enchanted evening” will include recognition of “a local hero for their commitment to service and passion for education,” according to a press release.
Like in previous years, the ceremony will be accompanied by music and dance performances, a complimentary s’mores and hot chocolate bar, a pop-up retail market, custom drinks from Barrel + Bushel, giveaways and more.
Tysons Corner Center says shoppers can expect additional holiday surprises throughout the next two months.
“Throughout the season, Tysons Corner Center will be delighting its customers with surprise entertainment, festivities, and random acts of kindness, all to enhance their holiday shopping experience,” the mall said in the press release. “For a truly festive holiday, Tysons will feature carolers, gift wrapping, and more surprises to come.”
The mall will be closed on Thanksgiving (Nov. 23), but it will reopen from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. the next day for Black Friday.
(Updated at 10:55 a.m. on 11/10/2023) About 40% of registered Fairfax County voters participated in this year’s general election, which decided state and local representatives who will shape policies on issues from abortion to land use in the coming years.
As of Friday (Nov. 10), 308,855 of the county’s 787,171 registered voters cast a ballot — a 39.2% turnout rate, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.
(Correction: The Virginia Department of Elections results previously indicated that 382,573 ballots had been cast in the election, a 48.6% turnout rate. This story has been revised to reflect the updated numbers.)
That falls short of the 44.3% turnout and 315,836 ballots cast in 2019, when the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, school board and all General Assembly seats were last up for grabs.
However, it still exceeds the turnout seen in earlier election cycles dating back to the beginning of this century, which hovered around 32% with a low of 30.3% in 2015, per county returns.
Eric Spicer, Fairfax County’s director of elections and general registrar, declined to comment on this year’s turnout numbers or speculate on “why they may differ from past years.”
The general election on Tuesday (Nov. 7) continued a trend of increased early voting that began after Virginia expanded absentee voting to all registered voters in 2020. This year, the county received 36,859 mail ballots on election night alone — more than the total number of absentee votes (36,584) in the 2019 general election.
There were 64,371 ballots cast through early voting, which ran from Sept. 22 to Saturday, Nov. 4, though the vast majority of voters still went to in-person polls on Election Day. Mail-in ballots will be counted until noon on Monday, Nov. 13, as long as they were postmarked on or before Nov. 7.
All election results, including for the still-to-be-determined Vienna Town council race, will be certified as final on Tuesday, Nov. 14.
Democrats celebrate near-sweep
The status quo largely held in Fairfax County, at least in terms of political parties, as candidates endorsed by the Democrats won every state contest and almost every local contest on the ballot.
Sheriff Stacey Kincaid and Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano were both reelected with no official challengers, though Descano’s opponent for the Democratic nomination, Ed Nuttall, endorsed a write-in campaign.
Descano’s victory was matched in Arlington by Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, who also first took office in 2020 on promises of criminal justice reform. Their Loudoun County counterpart, Buta Biberaj, however, is trailing by around 1,000 votes.
“Thank you to the people of Fairfax County for choosing me to serve another four years,” Descano said in a statement highlighting his reform efforts. “…I’ve still got a lot of fight in me — and we’ve got the momentum on our side. I’m eager to keep working for the people of Fairfax, and to realize a future where safety and justice do walk hand-in-hand.”
I’ve still got a lot of fight in me — and we’ve got the momentum on our side. I’m eager to keep working for the people of Fairfax, and to realize a future where safety and justice do walk hand-in-hand.
— Steve Descano (@SteveDescano) November 8, 2023
Chris Falcon, a deputy clerk for the Arlington Circuit Court, defeated retiring Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk John Frey’s chief deputy clerk and chosen successor, Gerarda Culipher, with nearly 63% of the vote. Falcon has pledged to make circuit court cases accessible through Virginia’s statewide case information system.
With Democrats set to control both the state Senate and House of Delegates, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee characterized the results as “a clear rejection of the radical Republican agenda” in favor of “abortion healthcare rights, public education, gun safety, voting rights, and more.” Read More
Three men have been arrested for coercing women into sex work at “high-end” brothels in Massachusetts and Virginia, the Department of Justice announced yesterday (Wednesday).
Locations used for the brothels include units in Hanover Tysons and Avalon Mosaic, apartment buildings in Tysons and Merrifield, according to a court affidavit by a Department of Homeland Security special agent.
Federal prosecutors have charged Massachusetts residents Han Lee and Junmyung Lee as well as California resident James Lee “with conspiracy to coerce and entice to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Massachusetts said in a press release.
According to the DOJ, since at least July 2020, the men enticed primarily Asian women to travel to and work in the brothels, whose clients included “politicians, high tech and pharmaceutical executives, doctors, military officers, government contractors that possess security clearances, professors, lawyers, scientists and accountants.”
Specifically, the defendants allegedly rented high-end apartment complexes as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. The monthly rent for the brothel locations were as high as $3,664. It is further alleged that the defendants coordinated the women’s airline travel and transportation and permitted women to stay overnight in the brothel locations so they did not have to find lodging elsewhere, therefore enticing women to participate in their prostitution network.
The locations in Tysons and Merrifield were advertised on a website claiming to be for nude photography models, but the DHS agent says he believes the ads are a “front” for commercial escort or prostitution services.
“Approximately twenty (20) sex buyers were interviewed in connection with this multi-yearlong investigation,” the agent said in the affidavit.
Clients were charged anywhere from $350 up to $600 per hour that they paid in cash, the DOJ says. Prosecutors allege that the defendants concealed “hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash” from the prostitution ring through deposits in their personal bank accounts and “peer-to-peer transfers.”
“Additionally, it is alleged that the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds,” the press release said. “These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at brothel locations in Massachusetts and Virginia.”
The defendants could face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $250,000 under the sex trafficking charges, according to the DOJ.
Han Lee and Junmyung Lee appeared in a federal court in Boston yesterday after getting arrested that morning, while James Lee was arrested in California and “will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Location Chosen for New FBI HQ — “Federal officials have decided the FBI will leave its iconic but decaying headquarters in downtown Washington for the Maryland suburbs, multiple people familiar with the decision said Wednesday…An empty 61-acre plot outside the Greenbelt Metro station” will win out over another Prince George’s County site and a Springfield warehouse favored by Virginia. [Washington Post]
Departing Pandas Pass Through Fairfax County — The Smithsonian National Zoo’s three giant pandas traveled through Fairfax County yesterday (Wednesday) on their way to Dulles International Airport. With the departure of Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji, the D.C. zoo will be panda-free for the first time in over 50 years. [Fairfax County Government/Twitter]
Israeli Flags Stolen From Local Home — The disappearance of two Israeli flags flown outside Fairfax resident Jarod Keren’s home since early October is being investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department as a “bias crime.” The FCPD says “10 anti-Islamic incidents have occurred this year compared to three last year and 24 anti-Jewish incidents have been reported compared to seven last year.” [WJLA]
Providence District Gets New Planning Commissioner — Jeremy Hancock was sworn in to represent Providence District on the Fairfax County Planning Commission on Nov. 1 by Deputy Clerk of the Court Gerarda Culipher. Formerly president of the Providence District Council, Hancock replaces Phil Niedzielski-Eichner, who remains on the commission as an at-large member and chairman. [Gazette Leader]
County Offices to Close for Veterans’ Day — “Fairfax County Government offices will be closed Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in observation of the Veterans Day holiday. However, some facilities are open, and schedules vary…Visit Fairfax has compiled a list of events in Fairfax County, neighboring counties, D.C. and elsewhere to honor our vets.” [Fairfax County Government]
Park Authority Seeks Input on Potential Fee Increases — “The Fairfax County Park Authority Board is proposing fee increases at rec centers and other park facilities. Members of the public are invited to a virtual meeting on Nov. 15, 7 p.m., on the 2024 fee schedule.” [Annandale Today]
Woodlawn Wendy’s Closed for Facelift — “The Wendy’s restaurant located at Woodlawn Shopping Center closed in late October for a refresh, according to a company representative…The renovation project does not involve a full remodel, the representative told property manager Woodmont Properties, so only the exterior of the restaurant will appear updated.” [On the MoVe]
Fairfax Connector Service Changes Proposed — “Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will hold two virtual community meetings to share proposed June 2024 service changes to Fairfax Connector bus service on routes throughout the county to improve reliabilty, frequency and connectivity for customers.” [FCDOT]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high around 77, accompanied by south winds at 10 to 13 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon. Clouds will increase Thursday night as temperatures drop to around 49, with northwest winds continuing at 8 to 14 mph and gusts still reaching 20 mph. [Weather.gov]
Vienna residents will have to wait a few more days for the results of the town’s first-ever November election.
While Mayor Linda Colbert was easily reelected in an uncontested race, the makeup of next year’s town council remains less clear, thanks to a slew of write-in votes that could determine one of the six open seats.
According to preliminary results from yesterday’s general election, all three incumbent council members in the running — Howard Springsteen, Chuck Anderson and Ray Brill — have secured new two-year terms.
Seeking an eighth term on the council that he first joined in 2009, Springsteen received 3,349 votes, or 15.78% — the most of the seven candidates on the ballot. He was closely followed by Vienna Planning Commissioner Jessica Ramakis (3,265 votes, 15.38%) and Anderson (3,248 votes, 15.3%). Rounding out the likely winners are Brill (2,807 votes, 13.22%) and Vienna Board of Architectural Review chairman Roy Baldwin (2,756 votes, 12.98%).
Officially duking it out for the final seat are Shelley Mountjoy (1,907 votes, 8.98%) — a former community college professor and creator of the Vienna Votes outreach project — and Sandra Allen (1,898, 8.94%), a budget analyst who previously ran for an at-large Fairfax County School Board seat.
However, both women trail the 1,997 write-in votes counted so far, which account for 9.4% of all votes. While it remains to be seen who all those votes were for, Vienna Transportation Safety Commission chair Beth Eachus launched a late campaign in September as a write-in candidate.
The Fairfax County Office of Elections, which manages the town’s elections, is currently tallying the votes, but the final results won’t be known until they’re certified next Tuesday (Nov. 14), according to election officials.
“The Electoral Board is ultimately responsible for determining who the votes were cast for, along with the final tally for write-in votes cast,” Fairfax County Director of Elections Eric Spicer told FFXnow. “Mail-in ballots that arrive by noon on Monday, Nov. 13 will also need to be counted. Final elections results will not be available until the Electoral Board certifies them on Tuesday.”
Per the county’s unofficial results, there were 21,227 votes cast in the town council election, with each voter allowed to mark up to six candidates. In total, 5,638 ballots were cast in Vienna’s four precincts for a roughly 45% turnout of the 12,323 registered voters in the town, election officials say.
That easily surpasses the 16.9% turnout for the last town council race in 2021, when Springsteen and fellow incumbents Steve Potter and Nisha Patel competed against then-planning commissioner David Patariu for three seats.
The Virginia General Assembly passed a law in 2021 shifting all municipal elections from May to December. The move was intended to encourage more participation and reduce administrative costs, though some Vienna elected officials worried that local issues would get overshadowed by county, state and national races.
In response to the change, the town council voted in November 2021 to eliminate the staggered terms that put three seats on the ballot at a time. Going forward, all six council seats will be up for election every two years.
An information technology consulting firm based in Reston is growing faster than any other company in the D.C. area, according to the Washington Business Journal.
Goldschmitt and Associates topped the newspaper’s 2023 ranking of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the region, as determined by the average percentage of revenue growth it saw from 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022.
Headquartered at 11601 Quail Ridge Court, Goldschmitt and Associates reported $115.81 million in revenue last year — a whopping 573.4% increase, on average, from $5 million in 2020 and $10.1 million in 2021.
Though aware that the company has been evolving recently, its leaders say they were still shocked to come out on top when the WBJ announced the list at an awards dinner held at The Ritz-Carlton in Tysons on Oct. 20.
“It’s been so busy given our recent growth that we honestly had no idea where we would be in the ranking,” Laura Kelmelis, director of special programs and security, said by email. “Every time another group was announced we were completely shocked…To be #1 is a huge honor, and one we are extremely proud of.”
Kelmelis and Vice President of Finance Nancy Jones attended the dinner and live-texted their reactions to President and CEO Marc Goldschmitt and Chief Operating Officer Rachel Sutler. The messages escalated throughout the evening from “Our name hasn’t been called yet” to “We are in the top 10!” and culminating at “#1!!!, Omg,” according to Goldschmitt.
Founded in 1998, Goldschmitt and Associates provides computer programming, business management, data analytics, system training and other IT services to government, educational, private and nonprofit clients, according to its website. It has 206 employees and an office in Leesburg in addition to its Reston headquarters.
The firm has also been ranked among the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. by the Inc. 5000 three years in a row. For the 2023 list, it came in at no. 34 overall, no. 1 among Virginia companies and no. 2 in the IT services category.
“We had a lot of help and guidance to enable our growth,” Goldschmitt said. “As we continue to grow, it’s important that we pay it forward and help other small and emerging companies to learn from both our successes and mistakes.”
Including Goldschmitt and Associates, a total of 19 Fairfax County-based companies made the WBJ’s list of the area’s 50 fastest-growing companies in 2023, an accomplishment highlighted by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority in a newsletter on Friday (Nov. 3).
4. Shiftmed (Tysons)
5. Turn2Partners (Herndon)
12. Shirley Luu and Associates (Tysons)
13. Metaphase Consulting (Reston)
17. Modus Create (Reston)
22. IT Concepts (Tysons)
23. Trustar Bank (Great Falls)
24. PBG Consulting (Tysons)
29. Vika Cos. (Tysons)
30. Inalab Consulting (Fair Oaks)
33. The Alliance Group (Tysons)
34. Omega World Travel (Fairfax)
36. Hive Group (Tysons)
39. Avertra (Herndon)
42. Unissant (Herndon)
44. Bogart Wealth (Tysons)
47. Steampunk (Tysons)
50. Hitt Contracting (West Falls Church)
To be eligible for the ranking, companies had to be private and independently owned. They also had to have a local headquarters and “sustained revenue growth for three years in a row,” making at least $2 million in 2020 and at least $10 million in 2022, according to the WBJ.
This year’s list had 51 companies total as a result of a tie between Hitt Contracting and Largo, Maryland-based Apex Petroleum Group for the final spot.
“Making it any place on the List is a big accomplishment,” the WBJ said in its announcement. “And some of this year’s winners have fought especially hard over the past few years to recover from the pandemic, including several from the hospitality and restaurant industry.”
Propelled by a near-sweep of races in Northern Virginia, Democrats have retaken control of the Virginia House of Delegates and retained control of the state Senate.
With a few races still to be called early Wednesday, Democrats appear to have won at least 51 seats in the 100-member House and 21 seats in the 40-member state Senate, according to results compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. This will mark the third consecutive election that control of the House has shifted — Democrats wrested it away from Republicans in 2019 but lost it in 2021.
The final makeup of the Senate appears likely to remain very similar as Democrats currently hold a 22-18 majority. Late Tuesday night, only one Senate race was in doubt – in the Tidewater area’s 24th District. In that race, Republican Danny Diggs led incumbent Sen. Monty Mason by only 51 votes out of more than 60,000 cast — a margin that, if it holds, means the race is probably headed to a recount.
The House, meanwhile, will flip from a 52-48 Republican majority to at least a 51-49 Democratic majority, based on Tuesday’s unofficial results. Three House races, primarily in the Richmond and Tidewater areas, remained to be called early Wednesday morning.
The results are a repudiation to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, whose Spirit of Virginia PAC poured millions of dollars into key races in an effort to hold the House and win control of the Senate. Youngkin hoped that control of both houses of the General Assembly would allow him to further his legislative agenda, including banning abortions after 15 weeks, except in certain cases.
Many national observers also thought that GOP victories Tuesday could lead Youngkin to make a late entry into the 2024 presidential election.
Emphasizing the importance of the Northern Virginia suburbs, Youngkin wrapped up the campaign with a rally in Leesburg on Monday night and an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning from Manassas.
Redistricting following the 2020 Census moved more seats to rapidly growing Northern Virginia, although nearly a third of legislators statewide retired or decided not to seek reelection because they were placed into districts with fellow legislators. State and national Democrats also poured millions of dollars into the campaigns, which were the most expensive in Virginia history.
As was expected, Democrats won all the General Assembly seats in Fairfax and Arlington counties and the city of Alexandria, along with those in eastern Prince William County and eastern Loudoun County, which have become more Democratic in recent years.
Democrats also picked up two competitive Senate seats in the western suburbs – the 30th District in Prince William, won by Del. Danica Roem, and the 31st District in Loudoun and Fauquier counties, captured by former CIA officer and prosecutor Russet Perry. Winning at least one of those seats was considered critical to GOP efforts to take the Senate.
On the House side, meanwhile, most of the highly competitive races were downstate, but the parties split two open western Prince William seats — with Democrat Josh Thomas capturing the 21st District and Republican Ian Lovejoy the 22nd District. Lovejoy and Del.-elect Geary Higgins of western Loudoun’s 30th District will be the only Republicans in the region’s legislative delegation.
Democrats also retained control of county boards of supervisors in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, and in the tightest board chair race, in Prince William, Democrat Deshundra Jefferson defeated Republican Jeanine Lawson. Democratic board chairs in Loudoun and Fairfax won reelection.
The Democrats’ win in the House means that Del. Don Scott of Portsmouth will probably become the first Black speaker of the House.
“We’ve been telling you all since day one that Democrats had the message, the candidates and the momentum to put a stop to the extreme Republicans’ agenda. And that’s what we did tonight,” Scott said, according to a statement released by the party. “Our candidates reflect the future of the commonwealth. They are products of the communities they’ll be representing. They are trusted community leaders.”
House Democratic Caucus Chair Charniele Herring of Alexandria said in the statement, “This victory shows that Virginia is ready for leaders looking to move our commonwealth forward and not backwards.”
Del. Dan Helmer of Fairfax, who led the Democratic caucus campaign committee, said the group raised over $17 million for candidates. “This win sends a message to Governor Youngkin and to MAGA Republicans across the nation that there is no place for their extreme agenda in Virginia,” Helmer added.
This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
