Virginia House Democrats aim to protect their majority

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic control of Virginia state government over the past two years has allowed lawmakers to dramatically reshape public policy with legislation reforming the criminal justice system, loosening abortion restrictions and expanding voting access.

Now voters are about to weigh in on whether that's the direction they wanted for the commonwealth. While the marquee race for governor is drawing the most attention in the Nov. 2 election, the balance of power in the 100-seat House of Delegates is also on the line.

“What we’re about to see is a referendum on, ‘Is Virginia as far left as the Democrats acted?’” said Garren Shipley, a spokesman for the House Republican caucus.

The impact of the Election Day outcome is likely to echo far beyond Virginia. The state’s unusual off-year elections routinely draw outsize national scrutiny as a possible indicator of voter sentiment heading into the midterms the following year.

Virginia House Democrats have flipped most of the state’s battleground districts in the past two elections. This year, they are mostly playing defense, aiming to keep incumbents in about a dozen key, geographically scattered seats. They also have their eyes on a few possible pickups.

Observers on both sides of the aisle generally agree that Republicans, who have trailed significantly in fundraising, have a tougher climb. But some say a flip in control is not out of the realm of possibility.

The election this year is not like those of 2017 or 2019 “when it comes to Democratic enthusiasm,” said Gaby Goldstein, the co-founder of Sister District, a nonprofit launched in the wake of the 2016 elections to help elect Democrats to state legislatures around the country.

“Having a ‘mission accomplished’ kind of attitude would be absolutely fatal here...