Democrats sweep local and state races
Good morning! Only 1 Republican won in James City County last night amid a large turnout. Early and mail in voting accounted for more than half the votes cast
Democrats won all but one contest in the Historic Triangle Tuesday, besting two incumbent Republicans for the House of Delegates and winning three out of four local races. All three of the Democrats’ statewide candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general also won.
Tracy L. Wainwright was the sole Republican to score a victory locally, taking the Powhatan district seat for the James City County board of supervisors by a nearly 18 percent margin over her Democratic opponent, Ti’Juana Gholson.
The two political newcomers were competing for the seat being vacated by Michael Hipple.
In James City County, Democrat Ty Hodges squeezed a 15-vote victory over Republican incumbent, Sarah G. Ortego, for the Jamestown seat on the school board, according to unofficial returns from the state department of elections.
Results are not final until all absentee and provisional ballots are counted. If there is no significant change in the school board results, Hodges’ victory is within the half a percentage point margin that allows candidates to request a recount at government expense.
Democrats — who invested millions of dollars in campaigning and made the election a referendum on the Trump administration — flipped 13 House seats, for a total of 64 out of 100.
Amanda Batten, who lost her re-election bid against Democrat Jessica Anderson, won only New Kent County in her district, which includes much of James City County and Williamsburg.
The election featured heavy voter turnout, with James City County holding the lead with a 64% turnout of registered voters. York County saw a 59% turnout, and Williamsburg 53%.
Early voting was also a significant factor, with 56% of the ballots cast in James City County coming from early in-person voting and mail ballots.
Here are the unofficial results from the department of elections, tallied before provisional and absentee ballots were counted:
Local Races:
House of Delegates, 71st District:
Jessica Anderson (D) 52.68%
Amanda Batten (R) 47.19%
House of Delegates, 69th District
Mark Downey (D) 49.61%
Chad Green (R) 46.73%
Valerie Beverley (I) 3.55%
James City County Board of Supervisors
Jamestown District
James Icenhour (D) 58.55%
John Slokovitz (R) 40.90%
Powhatan District
Ti’Juana Gholson (D) 40.94%
Tracy Wainwright (R) 58.46%
Williamsburg-James City County School Board
Jamestown District
Ty Hodges (D) 49.74%
Sarah G. Ortego (R) 49.54%
Powhatan District
Kimberley M. Hundley (D) 96.36% (unoppposed)
Statewide:
Governor
Abigail Spanberger (D) 57.24%
Winsome Earle-Sears (R) 42.56%
Lieutenant Governor
Ghazala Hashmi (D) 55.32%
John J. Reid (R) 44.42%
Attorney General
Jay Jones (D) 52.82%
Jason Miyares (R) 46.78%
Weekend fun & games
Fife and Drums March, Nov. 5, Nov. 7, Nov. 8. 4:45-5:05 p.m. Colonial Williamsburg military encampment.
To Hang a Pirate. Nov. 6. 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. 500 E Duke of Gloucester. $19.
Williamsburg Beer Festival. Nov. 7 4:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. New Town. $40.
Yorktown Tea Festival Nov. 7. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. American Revolution Museum, Yorktown. $25.
Colonial Challenge Lacrosse. Nov. 8-9. Warhill Sports Complex.
Yorktown Market Days Maritime Festival. Nov. 8-8. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Riverwalk Landing. Free.
2nd Sundays Williamsburg Art & Music Festival. Nov. 9. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. 401 N. Boundary Street. Free.
Passings
Michael “Mikey” Flynn, 87, Oct. 30.
Yay!!!
Technically, there aren't supposed to be party letters next to SB candidates.