The Virginia General Assembly convenes for the 2026 session on January 14 and the exact make-up of the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate is not yet known due to three special elections to be held this month.
On January 6, voters in Virginia’s 15th Senate District and 77th House District went to the polls to choose replacements for Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi and Mike Jones.
Jones resigned from the House in a bid to replace Hashmi and faced Republican John Thomas in the special election for Senate District 15. According to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, Jones won with 69.84 percent of the vote or 11,621 votes. Thomas got 4,997 votes and there were 22 write-in votes.
“I want to congratulate Delegate Michael Jones on his victory in the special election to succeed Lt. Governor- Elect Ghazala Hashmi,” said Senator Majority Leader Scott Surovell in a statement. “Delegate Jones has been a strong and passionate advocate for Richmond and Chesterfield in the House of Delegates, and I’m confident he will bring that same energy and commitment to the Senate of Virginia.”
To run for the Senate, Jones resigned his seat representing the 77th House District. That special election featured Democrat Charlie Schmidt and Republican Richard Stonage Jr. Schmidt received 79.39 percent of the vote, or 5,727 votes.
There are two more dates scheduled for special elections with House District 11 and House District 23 on January 13.
House District 11 became vacant when former Delegate David Bulova was nominated by Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger to become her Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources.
Democrats nominated Gretchen Bulova in a four-way “firehouse primary” on December 16. Bulova is the former Delegate’s wife and a member of the Fairfax County Historic Commission. She’s also on the VA250 Commission.
Adam Wise is the Republican nominee in House District 11.
In House District 23, former Delegate Candi Mundon King has left office to become Spanberger’s Secretary of the Commonwealth. Democrats nominated Margaret Angela Franklin in a two-way primary. She’ll face Republican Vern Robinson.
On January 20, there is a race to fill House District 17. Spanberger named former Delegate Mark Sickles to be her Secretary of Finance. Democrats held a “firehouse primary” on December 28 and Garrett McGuire placed first in a four-way race, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
McGuire faces Republican Christopher Cardiff in the special election.
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