{"id":2581376,"date":"2026-03-18T15:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T19:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-republican-bucks-blue-wave-in-special-election\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T15:11:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T19:11:08","slug":"virginia-republican-bucks-blue-wave-in-special-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-republican-bucks-blue-wave-in-special-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia Republican bucks blue wave in special election"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvirginia-republican-bucks-blue-wave-in-special-election%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2581376&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In Virginia\u2019s 98th District, Republican Andrew Rice won teh <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/latest-poll-majority-of-americans-want-republican-party-to-control-the-senate-sean-hannity\/\" title=\"LATEST POLL: Majority of Americans Want Republican ... to Control the Senate | Sean Hannity\">special election<\/a>, taking 62.5% of the vote too Democrat cheryl Smith\u2019s 37.5% with about 95% of ballots counted. The victory in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mi-judge-orders-dem-sec-of-state-to-release-all-communications-with-dominion-facebook-apple-amazon-and-google\/\" title=\"MI Judge Orders Dem Sec of State To Release All Communications With Dominion, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Google\">solidly red<\/a> Virginia Beach district comes after the February death of former Delegate Barry Knight and represents a stronger GOP showing than Knight\u2019s 2025 win,signaling a swing back toward the party. Rice, the deputy commonwealth\u2019s attorney in Virginia Beach, will serve the remainder of knight\u2019s 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\u2019s funeral and reflecting on a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >lengthy personal connection<\/a> to Knight\u2019s family.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Virginia Republican bucks blue wave in special election<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2531994\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Republicans earned a sweeping <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\">special election<\/a> win in a Virginia state House race, defying the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic-party\/\">Democratic<\/a> wave of victories in similar special elections across the country.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew Rice took 62.5% of the vote in Tuesday&rsquo;s election compared with Democrat Cheryl Smith&rsquo;s 37.5%, with 95% of votes counted in the state&rsquo;s 98th District. The development breaks the Democratic run of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3785469\/fluke-foreshadowing-what-democrats-special-election-wins-mean-2026\/\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/america-wont-survive-if-only-the-left-is-playing-to-win\/\" title=\"America Won\u2019t Survive If Only The Left Is Playing To Win\">special election victories<\/a><\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4486830\/supreme-court-donald-trump-tariffs-michigan-2026-midterm-elections\/\">Supreme Court&rsquo;s tariffs nix scrambles Michigan campaigns<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4490058\/ramaswamy-ad-buy-competitor-fundraising\/\">Ramaswamy takes $10 million ad buy after dwarfing Democrat competitor in fundraising<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Smith said she plans to concede, and Rice declared victory, saying he &ldquo;can&rsquo;t wait&rdquo; to work in Richmond for his district&rsquo;s residents.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Rice to our Caucus as the newest Delegate from the 98th District,&rdquo;&nbsp;Virginia House GOP Leader Terry Kilgore said in a statement. &ldquo;The road back starts here.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Virginia Beach district is solidly red. But conservatives <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RyanGirdusky\/status\/2034052076125249643\">celebrated<\/a> the results as a &ldquo;big overperformance,&rdquo; arguing that it <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/kerrydougherty\/status\/2034063134164717868\">marked<\/a> &ldquo;backlash against our insane governor and the left-wing nuts in the General Assembly.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>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 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/greg_price11\/status\/2034055581271474373\">reposting<\/a> that Tuesday marked &ldquo;a 22 point swing to the GOP.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-fairfax-countys-sanctuary-policies-led-to-the-murder-of-an-innocent-woman\/\" title=\"How Fairfax County\u2019s sanctuary policies led to the murder of an innocent woman\">deputy commonwealth&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s attorney in Virginia Beach, is set to serve the remainder of Knight&rsquo;s two-year term.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t even have time to grieve &mdash; the canvass was before the funeral, so it was very emotional,&rdquo; Rice told <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.13newsnow.com\/article\/news\/politics\/elections\/unofficial-results-show-andrew-rice-in-the-lead-in-virginias-98th-district-special-election\/291-7065a572-0444-4d70-8bcb-a960637b7e02\">13 News Now<\/a>, saying he had a long friendship with Knight&rsquo;s family and sought their blessing before entering the race.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4483889\/tony-gonzales-brandon-herrera-controversy-texas-house-race\/\"><strong>NOT JUST TONY GONZALES: BRANDON HERRERA DOGGED BY CONTROVERSY IN TEXAS HOUSE RACE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Smith <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whro.org\/local-government\/2026-03-17\/republican-wins-virginia-beachs-special-house-of-delegates-election\">told WHRO<\/a> that she planned to concede the election to Rice, marking her second loss in the district after challenging Knight last year.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I hope he sees these people,&rdquo; Smith said of Rice. &ldquo;I hope he listens to them and tries to be open-minded.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VA GOP wins 98th District; Rice 62.5-37.5%<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2581377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26059787334582.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[76085,6571,3911,76084,5468],"class_list":["post-2581376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-bluewave","tag-elections","tag-republican","tag-specialelection","tag-virginia"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26059787334582.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2581376"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2581380,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581376\/revisions\/2581380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2581377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2581376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2581376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2581376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}