Political Analyst: Control of the House of Delegates depends on outcome of Virginia governor’s race

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- With all 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates up for grabs in the November election, control of the chamber is in your hands. 

Currently, Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority in the House, meaning every seat is critical for both parties. 

The Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) rates ten seats as competitive, including seven seats currently held by Republicans and three seats currently held by Democrats. 

“A lot of people who vote really won’t know who the candidates for the House of Delegates are, they won’t recognize the names, and that’s always a surprise to long-term incumbents, they think they’re well known and they are among a certain elite group, but downstream, people don’t pay that much attention,” Larry Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, told 8News. 

Sabato said the fate of those districts will likely depend on the outcome of the Virginia gubernatorial election. Sabato added that’s because most voters will choose a candidate for governor and stick with that candidate’s party in the other races they vote for. 

“All you need to do is remember that Youngkin managed to convert a substantially Democratic House of Delegates into a Republican House of Delegates by winning just enough to pull many of them in, in 2021,” Sabato explained. 

Sabato added that with current polling showing Democrat Abigail Spanberger leading in the Virginia governor’s race, that could spell trouble for House Republicans. 

“Right now, I would say there are a lot of Republicans in trouble, and they know it, and a lot of those Republicans in trouble are in the Richmond area,” Sabato explained. 

Early voting continues at your local registrar’s office through November 1.