Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies (CPS), the bipartisan government relations and communications affiliate of international law firm Cozen O’Connor, today announced the addition of Donovan W. Pepper as principal and director of national strategic partnerships.
November 5, 2025
Just a few days after a contentious special session where the Democratic-led General Assembly took the first step in an effort to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms, Democrats swept all three statewide offices and significantly expanded their House majority — securing a Democratic trifecta in Virginia for the first time since 2019.
A Statewide Clean Sweep
The top of the statewide ticket brought a series of historic firsts for Virginia. Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger defeated Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears to become Virginia’s first female governor. Ghazala Hashmi prevailed over John Reid in the lieutenant governor’s race, becoming the first Muslim woman to hold statewide office. In the closest of the three contests, Jay Jones unseated incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares to complete the sweep. Combined, these victories restore Democratic control of all three statewide offices, ending four years of Republican control.
A Reshaped General Assembly
The Democratic surge extended beyond statewide contests. In the House of Delegates, Democrats gained 13 seats, climbing from 51 to 64. Key flips came in fast-growing suburban districts around Richmond, Northern Virginia, and Hampton Roads — areas where issues like affordability, infrastructure, and reproductive rights dominated the conversation. The increased majority in the House has immediate implications for the 2026 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Due to proportional representation rules, most House committees will likely replace three to five Republicans with Democrats in their place.
Meanwhile, barring a surprise in the upcoming special session to fill the vacated 15th Senate District seat of Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi, the Senate will likely remain a 21-19 Democratic majority. It is also important to note that Hashmi’s victory gives Democrats the edge if a tie vote were to occur on the Senate floor.
Flipped House Seats — 2025 Election Results
As of 11:38 PM ET, November 4, 2025
Source: VPAP.org
| District | Region | Democratic Winner | Republican Incumbent | Votes (D – R) |
Percent (D – R) |
| HD 22 | Prince William | Elizabeth Guzman | Ian Lovejoy* | 19,709 – 16,368 | 54.55 – 45.30 |
| HD 30 | Loudoun / Fauquier | John Chilton McAuliff | Geary Higgins* | 21,885 – 21,249 | 50.66 – 49.18 |
| HD 41 | Blacksburg / Roanoke Co. | Lily Franklin | Chris Obenshain* | 15,912 – 15,146 | 51.17 – 48.71 |
| HD 57 | Western Henrico | May Nivar | David Owen* | 23,645 – 19,088 | 55.26 – 44.61 |
| HD 64 | Stafford | Stacey Annie Carroll | Paul Milde* | 18,833 – 16,806 | 52.77 – 47.09 |
| HD 66 | Spotsylvania / Caroline | Nicole Cole | Bobby Orrock* | 18,503 – 16,939 | 52.15 – 47.74 |
| HD 69 | Peninsula Virginia | Mark Downey | Chad Green* | 19,143 – 18,032 (+1,368 I) | 49.61 – 46.73 |
| HD 71 | James City / Williamsburg | Jessica Anderson | Amanda Batten* | 23,182 – 20,768 | 52.68 – 47.19 |
| HD 73 | Western Chesterfield | Leslie Mehta | Mark Earley Jr* | 25,676 – 24,086 | 51.54 – 48.35 |
| HD 75 | Chesterfield / Hopewell | Lindsey Dougherty | Carrie Coyner* | 14,980 – 13,376 | 52.70 – 47.06 |
| HD 82 | Petersburg / Dinwiddie | Kimberly Pope Adams | Kim Taylor* | 18,279 – 15,749 | 53.64 – 46.22 |
| HD 86 | Hampton / York / Poquoson | Virgil Gene Thornton Sr | A.C. Cordoza* | 16,758 – 14,556 | 53.39 – 46.38 |
| HD 89 | Chesapeake / Suffolk | Karen Robins Carnegie | Mike Lamonea | 20,008 – 16,798 | 54.23 – 45.53 |
Democrats flipped a total of 13 seats and made significant gains among voters across the Commonwealth. The margins show the strongest Democratic performance across Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, and Hampton Roads — especially in suburban districts that leaned Republican as recently as 2021. The narrowest margin came in HD 30, decided by just 636 votes, while HD 57 delivered the largest Democratic advantage, exceeding 10 points.
How They Did It
Suburban turnout, and a largely unified Democratic message around reproductive rights, education, health care, and anti-White House sentiment fueled this year’s blue wave. Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger’s moderate branding during the campaign and the party’s focus on local economic stability helped consolidate gains in competitive districts.
Special Session Update & Looking Ahead
Virginia’s results could prove to be an early bellwether for the 2026 midterm elections. The Democratic sweep may become a blueprint for similar messaging nationally. Meanwhile, Republicans face growing challenges in suburban districts that swung bluer this year.
To add to the strategic positioning, the General Assembly met last week for a special session to take the first step in dissolving a bipartisan redistricting commission in favor of redrawn congressional lines. If HJ 6007 clears another vote in the 2026 General Assembly — which now has a larger Democratic majority — and is subsequently approved by Virginia voters via referendum, then the legislature could redraw the state’s congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The redistricting developments and the subsequent legal challenges will be key items to track heading into the next cycle.
Governor-elect Spanberger will be inaugurated as Virginia’s 75th Governor on Saturday, January 17. The 2026 Regular Session will begin just a few days prior on Wednesday, January 14.
Democrats sweep Virginia’s statewide races, reclaiming full control of executive branch
By Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury
Spanberger wins election, becomes Virginia’s first woman governor-elect
By Elizabeth Beyer, Cardinal News
Blue wave rebuilds the House: Democrats soar to at least 64 seats in Virginia
By Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury
Virginia Senate votes to propose redistricting amendment
By Jahd Khalil, VPM
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Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.
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November 5, 2025
November 5, 2025
November 5, 2025
