Charlie Schmidt wins Jones’ vacated seat in Virginia House of Delegates

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Community activist Charlie Schmidt (D) will serve Richmond and Chesterfield County after winning his bid for the Virginia House of Delegates seat vacated by Del. Mike Jones (D-Richmond), according to the Associated Press (AP).

On Tuesday, Jan. 6, a special election was held to fill two recently-vacated seats in the Virginia General Assembly.

When Hashmi is sworn in as Virginia's lieutenant governor in late January, she will have to step down from serving Senate District 15, leaving that seat empty. In order to run for her seat, Jones had to vacate his seat in the House of Delegates, where he represented House District 77. It's this race that Schmidt entered.

According to preliminary election results from the AP, Schmidt has overwhelmingly won his bid for House District 77, defeating Republican candidate Richard Stonage by more than 53 points. As of the time of reporting, Schmidt has secured 76.5% of the vote, while Stonage has 23.4%.

RELATED: Mike Jones wins race to fill Hashmi's seat in Virginia Senate

“Delegate-elect Schmidt brings proven leadership as an accomplished attorney and longtime community advocate who has spent his career fighting for civil rights, supporting small businesses and standing up for environmental justice," said Sen. Lamont Bagby (D-Richmond), chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA), in a statement celebrating Schmidt's victory.

The Virginia House Democratic Caucus also shared a statement on Schmidt's win, which reads:

“Congratulations to Delegate-elect Charlie Schmidt on his victory in the HD-77 special election. We’re excited to welcome Charlie to the House Democratic Caucus and to work alongside him to deliver a Virginia that lowers costs for families, keeps our communities safe, and stands firm against Trump’s attacks on Virginians’ rights and freedoms.”

This reporting is based on preliminary election results from the AP. All election results are unofficial until certified by Virginia’s State Board of Elections.

8News is your Local Election Headquarters. To check out more of our reporting on Virginia's elections, click here.