Future of Virginia politics comes down to race where a Republican leads by 10 votes

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Retweeted by David Fahrenthold: https://twitter.com/fahrenthold

Shelly Simonds scrambled to run against a GOP Virginia delegate after the Democratic nominee dropped out. Now she trails by 10 votes in a race headed to a recount where the Republican majority is at stake

Link to tweet

Virginia Politics

Future of Virginia politics comes down to race where a Republican leads by 10 votes

By Fenit Nirappil December 6 at 5:11 PM

NEWPORT NEWS — It was “Take Your State Legislator to School Day” in this coastal Virginia city. And two of them showed up.

Del. David Yancey, a Republican who has represented the district that includes Heritage High School since 2012, barely won reelection last month, eking out a victory with a margin of just 10 votes. He passed out his General Assembly business cards to students in a medical skills class.

But his Democratic challenger, local school board member Shelly Simonds, hasn’t given up and also appeared at last week’s event. Simonds watched teenagers investigate a fake crime scene in a room down the hall. She requested a recount, which the state will conduct Dec. 19.

The rivals barely acknowledged each other, save for an awkward hello as the three-hour tour wrapped up. ... Tension in Virginia political circles is building as officials prepare for a recount that will determine whether Republicans hold their 51 to 49 majority in the House of Delegates or if Democrats are able to claim Yancey’s seat and create a rare 50-50 tie in the lower chamber.
....

Fenit Nirappil covers politics and government in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. He previously covered the California statehouse and suburban government outside Portland, Ore.
Follow @FenitN

[guillaumeb]

1. Recommended.

So much for the "my vote does not count" meme.