Virginia 2013 Election Results

Virginia held its general election on November 5, 2013, deciding 100 legislative seats and 3 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control. The Senate was not up for regular election this cycle.

Highlights

• Democrats swept the three statewide offices for the first time since 1989, ending the Republican trifecta even as Republicans kept the House at 67-33. Because the lieutenant governor casts tie-breaking votes in the Senate, split 20-20, the win by Ralph Northam (D) gave his party that vote.
• Terry McAuliffe (D), a former Democratic National Committee chairman, beat Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) by about 2.5 points. Robert Sarvis (L) took about 7%. McAuliffe broke a nine-race streak in which the party holding the White House lost the governorship. Cuccinelli ran against the health care law and said it brought the race down to the wire. He also faced backlash over the October government shutdown, which hit federal workers in Northern Virginia and elsewhere in the state.
• For lieutenant governor, Northam, a state senator, beat E.W. Jackson, Sr. (R), a lawyer-turned-preacher, by about 11 points. The attorney general's race was the closest statewide race in modern Virginia history. State Sen. Mark Herring (D) was certified the winner over state Sen. Mark Obenshain (R) by a sliver. Obenshain conceded during the December recount, which left Herring about 900 votes ahead.
• In the House, 45 of the 100 races had a single candidate. Democrats unseated two Republicans, while Republicans picked up two open seats:
  • In House District 2, Michael Futrell (D) beat Del. Mark Dudenhefer (R) by about 220 votes.
  • In House District 93, T. Monty Mason (D) ousted Del. Michael Watson (R) by about 1,000 votes, though Watson outraised him throughout.
  • A. Benton Chafin (R) won the Democratic-held House District 4 unopposed.
  • Terry Austin (R) won House District 19, left open by independent Del. Lacey Putney, who caucused with Republicans.
• Five other Republican delegates held on by fewer than 500 votes each:
  • Del. Tom Rust (R) survived a recount against Jennifer Boysko (D) in House District 86, winning by a few dozen votes.
  • Del. David Ramadan (R) beat John Bell (D) in House District 87 by about 190 votes.
  • Del. Scott Lingamfelter (R) beat Jeremy McPike (D) in House District 31 by about 230 votes.
  • Del. Barbara Comstock (R) beat Kathleen Murphy (D) in House District 34 by about 420 votes.
  • Del. Bob Marshall (R) beat Atif Qarni (D) in House District 13 by just under 500 votes.

Legislature

• House of Delegates (100 seats): 32 D, 67 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 33 D, 67 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
• Senate (40 seats): 20 D, 20 R before the election, 20 D, 20 R after; control stayed with Power_Sharing.

Statewide races

Legislative races