Over the course of history there have been close election results among political rivals that have been referred to as a “bloodless revolution.” The results of the General Assembly races of 2023 consisting of 100 House of Delegates seats and 40 Senate seats were not revolutionary in that either party overwhelmingly defeated the other; they were revolutionary in that the results were so close for the winning candidates and for the winning party.
The loser of the elections was clearly the Governor who raised and spent millions of dollars, including millions of his own, as a springboard for his candidacy for the presidency. If he cannot carry his own state after campaigning in it for two years he could hardly be looked at as one who could win the presidency. The results of these elections show that what was suspected after he took office was true—his election was a fluke based on some agitated voters and a multi-million-dollar media campaign. His service in office has done nothing to impress anyone that he any basic understanding of government.
The General Assembly races were characterized by the highest turnover in candidates I can remember. The number of departing members including myself and senators who retired because of age and physical conditions was the highest in recent years. The number of delegates who left the House to run for Senate seats was likewise high. About a third of the General Assembly members meeting in January 2024 will be new to the institution or new to the legislature.
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The results of the General Assembly races are too close to call. I suggest you go to VPAP.org for the latest numbers. It appears to me at this late hour that the Senate will continue to be controlled narrowly as it has been for the past four years by the Democrats. I believe the House will be taken over narrowly by the Democrats. That could mean the selection of a third new Speaker of the House in a four-year period. Regardless of the final numbers it is clear that Virginia has had a bloodless revolution that will keep it on the path to reasonable progressivism and away from the fanatical ideas of the hard right.
