In what some political insiders are calling a “harbinger of things to come” in 2025 and beyond, special elections in Virginia this week saw Democrats winning two critical races in Loudoun County to retain their majorities in both the Virginia State Senate and House of Delegates for the coming legislative session in Richmond, which began this week. 

Later this year, in the fall, all state delegate seats will be on the ballot in Virginia, as well as those for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. Insofar as Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is prohibited by state law from seeking a second term, his replacement could be former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger.

She is the Democrats’ only declared candidate, running against the GOP’s likely standard bearer, lieutenant governor Winsome Earle-Sears. If Spanberger wins, the outcome could result in Democratic control of all three branches of the state government, opening the door for some major reforms.  

This week’s races were the first official elections in Virginia since November’s presidential election. As a result of their outcomes, Democrats will retain a narrow 21-19 edge in the state senate and a 51-49 lead in the House of Delegates, preserving their majorities through Youngkin’s final year in office.

In northern Loudoun County, Democrat Kannan Srinivasan defeated Republican Tumay Harding in the race to succeed Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat elected to the U.S. House in November.

In an overlapping House of Delegates district, Democrat JJ Singh bested Republican Ram Venkatachalam in an election to replace Srinivasan. In a third special election this week, Republicans held onto a state senate seat west of Richmond.

Democrats were upbeat at the Fairfax Democratic Committee’s annual Road to Richmond brunch last Sunday in Vienna, where U.S. Reps Don Beyer and Gerry Connolly were the keynote speakers.

 Beyer urged the crowd to be more upbeat, noting that the GOP’s victory in November was very narrow and “definitely not a mandate.” He said that a combination of confidence, optimism and hope is a formula for success. Take heart, he said, “in the fact that we’re on the right side of history.”

“We are the children of the Enlightenment, and stand for justice, freedom and basic human rights that apply to every living person.” It is not so much that “God is on our side” as “We are on God’s side,” and rather than “peace through strength,” we stand for “strength through peace.”

Connolly, who is battling cancer of the esophagus, was energetic asserting that “we are obligated to fight Trump at every step,” to recognize that Democrats “are poised for a comeback” in the special elections of this past week, and “happier days are around the corner.”

The ability of Democrats to keep winning in Northern Virginia has to do with “our ability to emphasize kitchen table issues that translate into common sense,” he said. Connolly will be the ranking Democrat on the important House Oversight Committee.

Also speaking Sunday was Jeff McKay, chair of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors who noted that while Fairfax County continues to grow rapidly, it has cut carbon emissions by 30 percent, and applying its “red flag law,” 600 firearms have been removed from 72 percent held by persons with known mental health issues and from 30 percent from known domestic abusers.

“It’s a badge of honor to get sued by the NRA. And we won,” he said.

He also hailed the gains in collective bargaining that have been made in the county, and that  Fairfax County has been named the safest jurisdiction in the U.S.

A challenge will be to address whatever may happen as Trump takes office to the 70,000 federal workers who live in his county, he said.

Meanwhile, it was announced yesterday that Rep. Beyer will hold a key post on the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), being reelected by the coalition’s 100 Congressional members as a vice chair.

In a coalition statement, it was stated that “the 118th Congress was a time of significant growth for SEEC, including reaching a 100-member milestone, demonstrating the resonance of SEEC’s mission to champion a positive vision for a clean economy and healthy environment for all Americans. The efforts have helped to propel $372 billion in private investments and 330,000 new jobs and counting. 

  Beyer added, “Today, SEEC’s mission is as momentous as it has ever been, with upcoming fights to protect the environment, maintain recent climate progress, and safeguard the booming green economy. Defending scientific research and striving to continue U.S. leadership on climate change were formative experiences for many of us who served in Congress during the first Trump Administration, and that work is more important than ever.”