What Virginia’s special elections tell us about the bigger ballot box

Democrats held onto their narrow majorities in Virginia’s legislature as they won two of three special elections on Tuesday in the first ballot box showdowns of 2025.

The closely-watched contests were seen by the political world as the first gauge of the mood of voters since President-elect Trump’s convincing victory in November, in elections that also saw Republicans win control of the U.S. Senate and hold their fragile House majority.

They’re also viewed as an early barometer for high-profile gubernatorial showdowns later this year in Virginia and New Jersey and next year’s battle for Congress in the midterm elections.

The Associated Press projected that the Democrats would win both special elections in Loudon County, in northern Virginia.

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In a special state Senate election, Democrat Kannan Srinivasan, currently a member of the state House, defeated Republican Tumay Harding. The seat became vacant after Democratic state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam was elected to Congress in November. 

And in a special state House race to fill Srinivasan’s vacant seat, Democrat JJ Singh, a small business owner and former congressional aide, topped Republican Ram Venkatachalam. 

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Loudon County, on the outer edges of the metropolitan area that surrounds the nation’s capital, in recent years has been an epicenter in the national debate over bathroom policy for transgender students and allowing them to play female sports. 

The one-time Republican-dominated county has trended for the Democrats over the past decade as Loudon’s population has continued to soar. Vice President Kamala Harris easily carried the county in November’s White House election, although Trump improved his showing compared to four years ago.