Virginia state Del. Jennifer Boysko (D) easily defeated her Republican opponent in the first state legislative special election of the year to hold on to a heavily Democratic district in the fast-growing Washington suburbs.
With all but one precinct reporting in the Fairfax County and Loudoun County-based district, Boysko led former Del. Joe May (R) by a wide 69-percent-to-30-percent margin.
Boysko will head back to Richmond to replace Jennifer Wexton (D), who resigned her seat to become a member of Congress. Wexton defeated Republican Barbara Comstock in the 2018 midterm elections.
Boysko’s win was expected in a district that went for Hillary Clinton by a two-to-one margin in 2016. Republicans will still control the state Senate in Richmond, but by a slim 21 seat to 19 seat margin.
All 40 of Virginia’s state Senate seats are up for grabs in November’s elections, and Democrats have targeted four Republican-held seats that Hillary Clinton won in 2016.
In a tweet posted after polls closed, Boysko thanked May for his years of service in the Commonwealth’s General Assembly. Boysko posted a photo with May, standing outside one of the polling places that opened on Tuesday, about an hour before polls closed.