Good morning. Thank you for voting yesterday and for joining us on the Virginia Insider live stream. We stayed with the numbers as they came in, and this is the morning-after picture from the Virginia Department of Elections and the calls that held.
Mark Warner (D) was the first Senate race called nationally. He defeated Republican Burt Mizusawa and is headed to a fourth term. The Associated Press and Virginia Department of Elections both called it early. Warner has said this will be his last.
Most incumbents held. The contested seats produced the night’s drama.
This was the race we watched closest. Incumbent John McGuire (R) leads Tom Perriello (D) in unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections election-night reporting site:
John J. McGuire III (R): 182,620 votes (50.29%)
Tom S. P. Perriello (D): 173,981 votes (47.91%)
Cooke C. Harvey (I): 5,812 votes (1.60%)
Write-in: 712 votes (0.20%)
That is a lead of roughly 8,600 votes. McGuire declared victory late last night. Perriello has not conceded and has called for every remaining ballot to be counted. These numbers are unofficial. Local boards certify first; the State Board of Elections certifies later. The race flipped back and forth through the evening as Albemarle County and Charlottesville (where Perriello ran very strongly) reported alongside more rural precincts. The district remains R-leaning on paper, but student registration and turnout around UVA and other campuses made it competitive.
Shannon Taylor (D), the Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney, is projected to defeat longtime incumbent Rob Wittman (R). The race stayed razor-close into the late evening. Taylor claimed victory; major outlets called it for her. All 221 precincts were in with early votes still outstanding at points during the night. Henrico and parts of Chesterfield weighed heavily for Taylor.
Elaine Luria (D) is projected to reclaim the seat she lost in 2022, defeating incumbent Jen Kiggans (R). Decision Desk HQ and local outlets called it. Virginia Beach delivered the bulk of her margin.
Incumbents held elsewhere: Ben Cline (R-06), Morgan Griffith (R-09), Eugene Vindman (D-07), Don Beyer (D-08), Suhas Subramanyam (D-10), James Walkinshaw (D-11), Bobby Scott (D-03), and Jennifer McClellan (D-04). No other flips reported.
All three statewide questions passed, according to AP and state reporting:
Question 1 (reproductive freedom / abortion access): ~62% yes
Question 2 (marriage equality / removing the 2006 ban and adding sex/gender language): ~57% yes
Question 3 (automatic restoration of voting rights for felons upon release from incarceration): ~55–56% yes
The abortion and marriage amendments face legal challenges. A Tazewell County case seeking to block certification of the reproductive-rights amendment is set for a hearing November 13. The amendments are scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027, barring court action.
Several localities voted on a 1% sales-tax increase for school construction. Results were mixed—some counties and cities approved it, others rejected it. View the results here as they come in: https://www.vpap.org/electionresults/20261103/referenda/
It was an ugly night for Virginia Republicans and conservatives in Virginia. But the fight continues, and we remain committed to taking back our Commonwealth.
We will keep tracking certification, any recounts, and the court challenges. Full unofficial numbers are on the Virginia Department of Elections election-night reporting site.
Thank you for doing your civic duty yesterday. The work continues.
