RICHMOND, Va. — A special election has been announced to fill one of the vacant seats left by two Virginia state senators who recently won election to the U.S. House. As a result, several candidates are already stepping forward to vie for these positions.
On Election Day, State Senators John McGuire, a Republican, and Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat, secured their congressional seats. Their success has resulted in open slots within the Virginia Statehouse. McGuire served a rural district in central Virginia, while Subramanyam represented an area in suburban Washington.
Per Virginia’s legal framework, it falls upon the House and Senate leaders to initiate such elections during special legislative sessions. The current special session has been ongoing since May. The law stipulates that a special election must take place within 30 days of a vacancy being created or a notification regarding the vacancy being received, depending on which occurs first.
On Monday, Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas confirmed that the election to fill Subramanyam’s seat is scheduled for January 7. However, an election date for McGuire’s seat has yet to be announced.
With a slim 21-19 majority in the Senate, the upcoming special elections are crucial for the Democratic party’s strategy to maintain control over both chambers.
In Loudoun County, where Subramanyam’s district is located, local party members revealed last Wednesday that they will cast their votes for the Democratic candidate on November 16. State Delegate Kannan Srinivasan, who was elected the previous year to represent the district, along with former Delegate Ibraheem Samirah, declared their intention to pursue the Democratic nomination. Additionally, former Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney Buta Biberaj has also stepped forward indicating her candidacy for the party nomination.
Regarding McGuire’s seat, several Republican figures have expressed their interest, including former state Senator Amanda Chase and her ex-staffer, Shayne Snavely. Other candidates such as Duane Adams, a Louisa County board supervisor, and Jean Gannon, a seasoned Republican activist, have also announced their candidacy.
Virginia GOP Chairman Rich Anderson communicated via email that local legislative committees in respective districts will decide the nomination process, under the organization of the local Republican Party.
The Virginia Democratic Party has indicated that once the special election for the Statehouse is called, party officials will determine how to nominate their candidates.
Political analysts predict that the winter races are unlikely to shift the current power dynamics. “While it isn’t entirely out of reach for the opposition party to secure victory in these districts, substantial missteps would have to occur for the leading party to falter — such as a contentious nomination process, very low turnout for the special election, or a notably energized opposition,” explained Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “Essentially, you’d need two perfect storms back to back… and those occurrences are rare.”