Virginia Democratic State Chairman Brian Moran issued a statement this morning acknowledging the concession of State Sen. Edd Houck in the 17th District race that gave an 86-vote lead to his Republican rival in Tuesday’s election.

With the outcome, Moran noted, the State Senate is now deadlocked at 20 Republicans and 20 Democrats (with the edge to Republicans on tie-breaker votes because of the of the lieutenant governor that comes into play under such circumstances, the current lieutenant governor being a Republican). Moran said the 20-20 deadlock indicates that, going into the 2012 presidential elections, Virginia is a “battleground” state.