Democrats increased their majority in Virginia’s House of Delegates on Tuesday.
Associated Press memo The party currently has 61 seats in the House of Representatives. By voting day, Democrats held a 51-48 majority in the House.
All six openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual candidates are visiting De Luz state. Rosia Henson (D-Prince William County), Laura Jane Cohen (D-Fairfax County), Joshua Cole (D-Fredericksburg), Marcia Price (D-Newport News), Adele McClure (D-Arlington County), and Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax County) won reelection.
Bisexual Democratic Rep. Lindsey Dougherty defeated state Democrat Carrie Coyner (R-Chesterfield County) in House District 75, which includes parts of Chesterfield and Prince George’s counties. (In 2022, incoming Attorney General Jay Jones texted Coyner about a scenario in which he would shoot and kill former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert.)
Other notable election results include Democrat John McAuliffe defeating state Democrat Geary Higgins (R-Loudoun County) in House District 30, and former state Rep. Elizabeth Guzman defeating state Rep. Ian Lovejoy (R-Prince William County) in House District 22.
Democrats increased their majority in the House on the night they won all three statewide offices: governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Narissa Rahman, executive director of Equality Virginia Advocates, an advocacy chapter of the statewide LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Virginia, noted last week that the election results will determine the future of LGBTQ rights, reproductive freedom and voting rights in the state.
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill in 2024 codifying marriage equality into state law.
Earlier this year, the General Assembly approved a resolution calling for the repeal of the Marshall-Newman Amendment, which defines marriage in the state constitution as between a man and a woman. The resolution must be passed by two consecutive parliaments before proceeding to a vote.
Shreya Jyotishi contributed to this article.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
