Candidates line up for special elections to replace Virginia senators recently elected to US House
RICHMOND, Va. — One of two special elections to replace the Virginia state senators recently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives was announced Monday. Candidates are already lining up to take over the seats.
State Senator John McGuire and Suhas Subramanyam won the congressional victories on election day. That means there are vacancies for their positions in the Statehouse. McGuire, a Republican, represented a rural district in central Virginia. Subramanyam, a Democrat, represented a Washington-area suburb.
Under Virginia law, leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate are charged with calling such elections when the Legislature is in special session. The special session has been active since last May. The law also requires a special election is instituted “within 30 days of the vacancy or receipt of the vacancy notice, whichever occurs first.”
On Monday, Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas said the election to replace Subramanyam will take place on January 7. Lucas has not yet called an election to replace McGuire’s seat.
Senate Democrats hold a narrow 21-19 majority, making the special election crucial to the party’s efforts to maintain majorities in both chambers.
Democrats in Loudoun County, home to Subramanyam’s district, said in a news release last Wednesday that local party members would vote for their candidate on Nov. 16.
State Secretary Kannan Srinivasan, who was elected last year to represent the district in the House of Representatives, and former Del. Ibraheem Samirahsaid in statements to The Associated Press that they would seek the Democratic nomination to succeed Subramanyam. Former Commonwealth’s Attorney of Loudoun County Buta Biberaj the AP also announced that she would stand as a candidate for the party.
As reported by the Richmond Times Dispatchseveral Republicans have announced their interest in McGuire’s seat, including former Senator Amanda Chase and her former aide, Shayne Snavely. Duane Adams, Louisa County Board Supervisor, and Jean Gannon, a longtime Republican activist, also announced their candidacies.
Virginia GOP Chairman Rich Anderson told the AP by email that the local legislative committee in each district will select the nomination method, which will be administered by the local Republican Party.
The Democratic Party of Virginia said in a statement that once Statehouse leaders call for a special election, party officials will determine internally how to nominate candidates.
Analysts say the winter races are unlikely to tip the balance of power.
“It is not impossible for the outgoing party to win these districts, but a lot would have to go wrong for the dominant party to lose – a contentious nomination battle, extremely low turnout in a special election or a really energetic out party,” he said. Stephen Farnsworth. , professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “You would actually need a perfect storm, followed by another perfect storm… Usually perfect storms don’t happen.”