For the first time in more than two decades, Democrats control the legislature and governorship in what was once a reliably red state.
After narrowly losing the House and Senate in 2017, Virginia Democrats earned their “trifecta” of power in the Commonwealth Tuesday, winning the state legislature by a comfortable margin.
Alongside Gov. Ralph Northam, Democrats can now set the agenda for the state in 2020, accomplishing policies that would’ve once been unthinkable in Virginia. Before backing President Barack Obama in 2008, Virginia voted for Republican presidents all the way back to 1968. The 2008 election began the state’s transformation from ruby red to blue.
Democrats have not had full control of Virginia’s government for more than 20 years. The one-party rule means they can advance legislation they have longed fought for, including enforcing gun safety, raising the minimum wage, and improving gender equality. Read more about what the new leadership can do here.
Davis Burroughs Davis is a congressional reporter at COURIER and is based in Richmond. Before joining Courier Newsroom, Davis covered Congress for Morning Consult. He moved to Virginia in 2017, where he co-founded The Regeneration Magazine, an international publication about people creating a better planet.
