The 2019 Virginia House of Delegates election was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, concurrently with the elections for the Senate of Virginia, to elect members to the 161st Virginia General Assembly. All 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates were up for election. It resulted in Democrats gaining 6 seats in the House of Delegates, and gaining control of both chambers of the General Assembly, marking the first time that Democrats held control of both legislative and executive branches in Virginia since 1993.
Primary elections were held on June 11, 2019.
Background
In the 2017 Virginia House of Delegates election, Republicans held on to a slim majority of 51-49 after a drawing in a tied race went in their favor. In those elections Democrats gained 15 seats in what was widely considered a rebuke of the presidency of President Donald Trump.
Since the last elections several State House districts were redrawn, following a federal district court decision that struck down 11 districts for racial discrimination. The Republican majority in the House of Delegates appealed the decision directly to the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court affirmed the district court's decision in a 5–4 vote, arguing that the House of Delegates lacked standing in the case.
In the aftermath of the 2019 Virginia Beach shooting, Governor Ralph Northam called for a special session of the Virginia Legislature in order for it to consider different gun-control bills. The House of Delegates reconvened on July 9, 2019 only for it to adjourn again after 90 minutes of session. This decision was made on a party-line vote. Northam expressed his disappointment that no gun-control measures were considered. Then-Speaker of the House of Delegates Kirk Cox called the special session "just an election year stunt". He criticized the Democrats' focus on gun-control bills without considering mental health and penalization of crimes.
Results
Overview
Close races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
Detailed results
Uncontested primaries are not reported by the Virginia Department of Elections.
District 1
Incumbent Republican Terry Kilgore has represented the 1st District since 2017.
General election
District 2
Incumbent Democrat Jennifer Carroll Foy has represented the 2nd district since 2018.
General election
District 3
Incumbent Republican Will Morefield has represented the 3rd district since 2010.
General election
District 4
Incumbent Republican Todd Pillion has represented the 4th district since 2014. He is retiring.
Republican primary election
General election
District 5
Incumbent Republican Israel O'Quinn has represented the 5th district since 2012.
Republican primary election
General election
District 6
Incumbent Republican Jeff Campbell has represented the 6th district since 2014 special election.
General election
District 7
Incumbent Republican Nick Rush has represented the 7th district since 2012.
General election
District 8
Incumbent Republican Joseph McNamara has represented the 8th district since the 2018 special election.
General election
District 9
Incumbent Republican Charles Poindexter has represented the 9th district since 2008.
General election
District 10
Incumbent Democrat Wendy Gooditis has represented the 10th district since 2016.
General election
District 11
Incumbent Democrat Sam Rasoul has represented the 11th district since 2014.
General election
District 12
Incumbent Democrat Chris Hurst has represented the 12th district since 2018.
General election
District 13
Incumbent Democrat Danica Roem has represented the 13th district since 2018.
General election
District 14
Incumbent Republican Danny Marshall has represented the 14th district since 2002.
General election
District 15
Incumbent Republican Todd Gilbert has represented the 15th district since 2006.
General election
District 16
Incumbent Republican Les Adams has represented the 16th district since 2014.
General election
District 17
Incumbent Republican Chris Head has represented the 17th district since 2012.
General election
District 18
Incumbent Republican Michael Webert has represented the 12th district since 2012.