Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
Virginia
Democrats see historic gains in Virginia’s House of Delegates races
By 10 p.m. on election night, just three hours after polls closed, Democrats had flipped nearly one dozen seats from Republican incumbents.
Want more election coverage?
Cardinal covered races across Southwest and Southside. For more election stories, click here.
By 11:30 p.m., they had picked up two more.
The party picked up seats from the city of Roanoke to Petersburg to Spotsylvania County and Northern Virginia and others, after they knocked out incumbents in 13 districts.
House of Delegates District 41 was among those that flipped from red to blue. Democratic challenger Lily Franklin had a 2.46 percentage point lead over incumbent Republican Del. Chris Obenshain, of Montgomery County, by 10:45 p.m.
This year’s race for the 41st District was a rematch between Obenshain and Franklin after the latter lost by 183 votes in 2023 once provisional ballots were counted. That race was not called until nearly one week after Election Day.
“Lily Franklin ran a spirited campaign. She earned a lot of votes, and she has earned my respect,” Obenshain said in his concession statement. “Tonight was a setback not just for me, but also for the causes I have championed and the people I have sought to represent. Ultimately though, the voters have the final word and while this result is disappointing, I respect their decision tonight.”
In a statement released Tuesday evening, Franklin said, “I’m deeply honored by the trust the people of the 41st District have placed in me. Folks are ready for new leadership.”
“Virginians turned out in force to support candidates who embody the very best of who we are – champions of fairness and truth over the forces of bigotry and deceit,” state Sen. Lamont Bagby, chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, said in a statement.
Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger will enter office with a trifecta, with the governor’s seat, the state Senate and House of Delegates all under the same party. She will be the first Democratic governor to do so in nearly 40 years, according to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
“Democrats, we’re back,” said House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott during a speech in Richmond on election night. “Tonight we shocked the world.”
The Portsmouth Democrat added that Virginia sent a message of love and unity over hate and division to the country.
“We just made history tonight. … Not only did we keep the majority in the House tonight, I think we’re at 57 seats. And we’re not done counting,” he said just before 10 p.m. on election night.
Here’s how the rest of Virginia’s Southwest and Southside House of Delegates races shook out
The political makeup of Southwest and Southside Virginia remained largely unchanged.
Most incumbents held onto their seats, and new Republican candidates for open seats in districts 46 and 49 won their elections: Mitchell Cornett won Del. Jed Arnold’s seat, and Madison Whittle won Del. Danny Marshall’s seat. Arnold, of Smyth County, did not seek reelection, citing his wife’s health concerns. Marshall, of Danville, declined to seek reelection to undergo lung transplant surgery. He is currently recovering from that surgery.
District 35 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Chris Runion, Rockingham County
District 36 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Ellen Campbell, Waynesboro
District 37 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Terry Austin, Botetourt County
District 38 winner: incumbent Democratic Del. Sam Rasoul, Roanoke
District 39 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Will Davis, Franklin County
District 40 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Joe McNamara, Roanoke County
District 41 winner: Democratic challenger Lily Franklin (seat flipped)
District 42 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Jason Ballard, Giles County
District 43 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Will Morefield, Tazewell County
District 44 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Israel O’Quinn, Washington County
District 45 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Terry Kilgore, Scott County
District 46 winner: Republican Mitchell D. Cornett
District 47 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Wren Williams, Patrick County
District 48 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Eric Phillips, Henry County
District 49 winner: Republican Madison Whittle
District 50 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Tommy Wright, Lunenburg County
District 51 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Eric Zehr, Campbell County
District 52 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Wendell Walker, Lynchburg
District 53 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Tim Griffin, Bedford County
District 56 winner: incumbent Republican Del. Tom Garrett, Louisa County
Related stories
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Follow
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Five people were charged after Virginia Beach Police conducted a two-day human trafficking and vice operation on July 3, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
The department’s Special Investigations Bureau conducted the operation, which was aimed at identifiying human trafficking victims, reducing the demand for commercial sex and targeting individuals seeking to exploit or recruit children for prostitution.
Detectives used many investigative techniques to proactively identify individuals involved in criminal activity related to prostitution, human trafficking and offenses against children. The operation was conducted in Virginia Beach, involving personnel from all of the bureau’s squads.
As a result of the operation, five people were identified and charged with offenses ranging from solicitation of prostitution to sex trafficking and crimes involving minors. Two vehicles and U.S. currency were seized during the operation. Other people were connected to victim services through Samaritan House.
The operation led to the following people being charged:
- Shane Carter, 28, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
- Robert Harris, 64, of Virginia Beach, was charged with solicitation of prostitution and assault and battery.
- Larry Pittman, 53, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking and use of electronic devices to facilitaate certain offenses involving minors.
- Kenric Frazier, 46, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking, use of electronic devices to facilitate certain offenses involving minors and solicitation of child pornography.
- Cameron Lewis, 24, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
Investigators also developed leads about people who are suspected of trafficking and exploiting others for commercial sex. Those are now active and ongoing investigations. There may be more charges and arrests pending further investigation and consultation with the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
If you’re a human trafficking victim or know someone who is, you can report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
-
Maryland5 minutes agoWashington Nationals 1st-round pick from Potomac Md. signs contract – WTOP News
-
Michigan11 minutes agoMichigan AG Dana Nessel visits Kalamazoo to address rising energy prices
-
Massachusetts17 minutes agoSpringfield attorney named to 2026 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list
-
Minnesota23 minutes agoHundreds of Canada wildfires prompt US air quality alerts as smoke spreads south
-
Mississippi29 minutes agoMississippi homeowners blame a noisy data center plant for sleepless nights. The mayor’s advice? “Consider selling.”
-
Missouri35 minutes agoMissouri health officials report 80 current cases of cyclosporiasis
-
Montana41 minutes agoYe & French Montana Sued Over Sample of Paparazzi Fight Video: ‘Don’t Take No Photos!’
-
Nebraska47 minutes agoTwelfth Nebraska county temporarily bans data centers
