Democrats Gain 13 House Seats 

Democrats picked up 13 seats in the incoming House of Delegates, which will boost the party’s advantage in the lower house from 51 seats out of 100 to 64, the most the party has held in almost 40 years.

The gains included wins in all 30 districts of Northern Virginia.

Democrats flipped some swing districts they had lost in 2023, including those around Richmond and the Hampton Roads area. Turnout trended downward in Republican areas, according to data charted by the Virginia Public Access Project.

The changes didn’t extend to Southwest and Southside Virginia, where most incumbents were reelected.

“We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship,” Democratic Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger told supporters on election night. “We chose our Commonwealth over chaos.”

Governor Reacts to the Elections

Term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin responded to the election outcome during a news conference yesterday. He congratulated Abigail Spanberger on her victory and thanked those who worked on the elections.

Youngkin said that Virginians support the policies that his Republican administration has pursued, but admitted that “the government shutdown was a very, very big challenge as we ran into this election.”

He also offered advice for his successors. “We must continue to drive economic prosperity through job creation,” he said.

‘Virginia Cares’ Introduced

Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week rolled out the Virginia Cares Initiative to stockpile food for residents, including federal employees who are not being paid and those who rely on federal benefits.

The goal is to help those who will not be covered under the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance program. It started this week to fill the gap left by the suspension of federal SNAP benefits.

“We know there are still thousands of families, including federal workers and newly eligible Virginians, who are struggling to make ends meet,” Youngkin said. Virginia Cares will work in tandem with seven regional food banks.

Citizens willing to donate will receive a list of high-demand food items, drop-off locations, and hours during which they can contribute.

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➤ Virginia Beach: Voters opted to keep using the 10-1 model to elect city government leaders, which involves voters choosing 10 council members in individual districts alongside a citywide vote for mayor. (More)

➤ Statewide: Virginia has approximately 1,110 air traffic controllers, all of whom are working without pay during the government shutdown. So far, the Commonwealth’s airports have not reported significant impacts. (Details)

➤ Arlington: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport issued a ground stop on Tuesday after an “unconfirmed bomb threat” aboard a United Airlines plane that was coming in from Houston. The jet landed without incident. (Details)

➤ Statewide: Virginia State Police warned that they’ve seen a jump in insurance fraud cases, stemming from incidents such as staged car accidents. Troopers advise calling authorities immediately every time you are involved in an accident. (More)

➤ Richmond: Del. Joe McNamara has repeatedly introduced a bill to put the Commonwealth on permanent daylight saving time, but the measure has yet to advance. (Details)

➤ Statewide: Flags across Virginia will fly at half-staff in memory of the late Vice President Dick Cheney until sunset of the day he is buried. (More) 

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➤ Liberty men’s basketball hired Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill as chief basketball advisor. A UVA alum, Gill said he wants to “reinforce values and help young men navigate life on and off the court.” (Details)

➤ Virginia Tech women’s basketball crushed Towson 100-56. The Hokies scored more points in the second half than their opponent scored the entire game. (More)

➤ UVA field hockey scored three goals in less than three minutes to beat Stanford 4-3 and advance to the ACC Tournament Semifinals. (Details)

Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | Soccer | NCAAF | NCAAM | NCAAW

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➤ The Icon Honors Awards, which celebrate the lifetime achievements of Virginia business leaders older than 60, will be handed out today at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. (Details)

➤ ICF, a Reston-based contractor, announced that chief financial officer Barry Broadus will retire next year and be replaced by James Morgan. (More)

➤ The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership awarded $100,000 each to 12 universities in Virginia to help them pay students to participate in work-based learning, such as internships. (Details)

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➤ Seaton Place Farm, a 56-acre estate on land once owned by Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee III, is for sale for $5.6 million. The property boasts a three-hole golf course. (See Photos)

➤ Some Häagen-Dazs Dark Chocolate Mini Bars that were sold in the Commonwealth are being recalled because they may contain undeclared wheat. (More)

➤ The Southeastern Public Service Authority will eventually allow customers in most of Hampton Roads to dispose of all their trash in one can instead of sorting garbage and recycling. The change is scheduled to take effect by 2029. (Details)

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Do you separate your garbage and recycling?

1. Always
2. Sometimes
3. Never

Wednesday’s Results:

Did you take a civics class in college? 

1. No: 30%
2. Yes: 25%
3. Didn’t go to college: 23%
4. Not sure: 22%

Who is Wise County named for?

Show me the answer