Virginia GOP Celebrates Big Gains in State Legislature

Otherwise, Tuesday was good for the Democrats.

At LAT:

Republicans rejoiced Wednesday as they appeared poised to control both the governorship and the state Legislature in Virginia, though the party’s victories in Tuesday’s election fell short of earlier hopes.

In the House of Delegates, GOP candidates wrested at least six seats from Democratic control, expanding their advantage in that chamber to a two-thirds majority. And despite the looming possibility of a recount in at least one close race, Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell declared victory in the party’s quest to take control of the state Senate.

McDonnell’s successful campaign for the governorship in 2009 marked the beginning of the GOP’s effort to regain its footing in Virginia after Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon Johnson to carry the state. McDonnell worked furiously to help elect fellow Republicans this year, raising more than $5 million for the races, according to the Washington Post.

“In politics, change can come quickly,” McDonnell wrote in a statement posted Wednesday morning to RedState.com. “In our case, quickly doesn’t begin to do this turnaround justice.”

The GOP gains in the House of Delegates give the party the largest majority it has ever held in the chamber, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.