In addition to races in Kentucky, Mississippi, and other parts of the country, one of the most important races was the Virginia Legislature. The current Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, faced a major scandal this past year as a result of wearing blackface in his yearbook photo from his days in med school. This was seen by people on both sides as a potential for Republicans to partially take back Democratic gains made in 2017, when Democrats flipped 16 seats to be a 49-51 minority in the State House.

However, tonight was not that night. For the first time since 1994, Democrats in Virginia have achieved a trifecta in government, with the Governor, State House, and the State Senate now in Democratic hands.

Republicans entered Tuesday with slim majorities in both state chambers, with a 21-19 and a 51-49 majority in the State Senate and House of Delegates, respectively. Prior to the elections of 2017, Republicans held a 67-33 majority in the House of Delegates. The elections of 2017 helped Democrats flip 16 seats, reducing the GOP majority to just 51-49, despite Democrats winning 55% of the popular vote. Although Democratic leads were strong, Republican gerrymandering helped the party maintain a majority in an awful election.

Earlier this year, however, the Legislature was handed a court-ordered redistricting due to racial gerrymandering done by the Republican party. This meant that the Democratic Party was given a higher ceiling for gains in the upcoming 2019 elections that will likely be powered by anti-Trump resentment.

Democrats have captured a necessary 21 seats in the State Senate for a majority and they have captured 51 seats in the House of Delegates, with almost ten more races to call. This will mark a new day in Virginia with little resistance to Governor Ralph Northam. Representative Eileen Filler-Corn and Senator Richard Saslaw are expected to be the incoming Majority Leader of the House of Delegates and State Senate, respectively.

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