VIRGINIA BEACH – In a surprise upset, Virginia Beach voters followed the state in the gubernatorial race, shedding their usual red for blue.
In a city that President Donald Trump won by more than 7,000 votes, Democrat Ralph Northam secured a win in the city over Republican Ed Gillespie by more than 6,000 votes.
“Today, Virginians proved that we won’t be divided, we won’t be torn apart, and we won’t sit idly by,” Ralph Northam wrote in a news release Tuesday evening. “We will speak out against divisiveness, hatred, and bigotry in all its forms, and we will fight for Virginia values.”
The gubernatorial race wasn’t the only seat to see a change in vote.
Virginia Beach voters re-elected Attorney General Mark Herring, edging slightly over Republican challenger John Adams.
“Tonight, the people of Virginia have sent an unmistakable message that will be heard across this nation,” Herring wrote in a news statement. “We have rejected a politics of fear and division in favor of a Commonwealth that strives for justice, equality, and opportunity for all Virginians. The people of Virginia have said loud and clear that their attorney general should always be on the side of the people.”
Two House of Delegates seat in the city also flipped.
In a political upset, newcomer Democrat Kelly Fowler, a real estate agent who was inspired to run for office after last year’s presidential election, beat out the District 21 incumbent Ron Villanueva, a Republican that has held the seat since 2010.
Fowler earned 53.4 percent of the vote over Villanueva’s 46.4 percent, showing a change of heart in the formerly red district.
“A Virginia Beach native, Kelly Fowler is well versed in the issues that matter to the 21st district,” Virginia House Democrats spokesperson Katie Baker said on Tuesday. “In advocating for women’s reproductive rights and access to affordable health care, she has proven to be a strong voice for her community. We are excited to have Kelly join us in Richmond.”
The District 85 race — a rematch from 2016’s special election when Rep. Scott Taylor moved from the delegate seat to Congress — remained close Tuesday night, but was called by the Associated Press for Democrat Cheryl Turpin, 51 to 49 percent over Republican incumbent Rocky Holcomb, a captain at the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office, as of 11 p.m.
The race in the 85th was one of the most expensive campaigns in the state, with Turpin spending just over $563,000 to Holcomb’s $375,000.
Republican incumbents held onto four Virginia Beach seats in Districts 81, 82, 83 and 84.
In the 81st, Republican Barry Knight had a 4,000 vote lead over newcomer Democrat Kimberly Anne Tucker. Similar margins kept Republicans Jason Miyares and Chris Stolle in their seats in the 82nd and 83rd, respectively.
Republican and former city councilperson Glenn Davis, Jr., held his seat by a margin of 800 votes over Democrat Veronica Coleman, a health care professional, in her first political foray.
Elsewhere in Virginia, Democrat Danica Roem defeated Republican Bob Marshall in District 13 by 9 points. Roem, a formal journalist, will be the first transgender lawmaker in the country. Marshall served as a delegate in the district for 26 years.
