Virginia Republican bucks blue wave in special election
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In Virginia’s 98th District, Republican Andrew Rice won teh special election, taking 62.5% of the vote too Democrat cheryl Smith’s 37.5% with about 95% of ballots counted. The victory in the solidly red Virginia Beach district comes after the February death of former Delegate Barry Knight and represents a stronger GOP showing than Knight’s 2025 win,signaling a swing back toward the party. Rice, the deputy commonwealth’s attorney in Virginia Beach, will serve the remainder of knight’s two-year term, while Smith conceded the race. He and GOP leaders framed the result as a local win and a potential sign of party momentum, noting the canvass occurred before Knight’s funeral and reflecting on a lengthy personal connection to Knight’s family.
Virginia Republican bucks blue wave in special election
Republicans earned a sweeping special election win in a Virginia state House race, defying the Democratic wave of victories in similar special elections across the country.
Andrew Rice took 62.5% of the vote in Tuesday’s election compared with Democrat Cheryl Smith’s 37.5%, with 95% of votes counted in the state’s 98th District. The development breaks the Democratic run of special election victories in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas. And it marks an improved performance for the GOP, as the Republican candidate who won the district in 2025, Barry Knight, secured the election with under 57% of the vote.
Smith said she plans to concede, and Rice declared victory, saying he “can’t wait” to work in Richmond for his district’s residents.
“I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Rice to our Caucus as the newest Delegate from the 98th District,” Virginia House GOP Leader Terry Kilgore said in a statement. “The road back starts here.”
The Virginia Beach district is solidly red. But conservatives celebrated the results as a “big overperformance,” arguing that it marked “backlash against our insane governor and the left-wing nuts in the General Assembly.”
Rice had a far better outcome in the district on Tuesday than GOP gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears saw in November, advocates said, with Kilgore reposting that Tuesday marked “a 22 point swing to the GOP.”
The special election was called after Knight died in February following a battle with cancer. The latest election results shown are unofficial until they are certified. Rice, the deputy commonwealth’s attorney in Virginia Beach, is set to serve the remainder of Knight’s two-year term.
“We didn’t even have time to grieve — the canvass was before the funeral, so it was very emotional,” Rice told 13 News Now, saying he had a long friendship with Knight’s family and sought their blessing before entering the race.
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Smith told WHRO that she planned to concede the election to Rice, marking her second loss in the district after challenging Knight last year.
“I hope he sees these people,” Smith said of Rice. “I hope he listens to them and tries to be open-minded.”
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