RICHMOND, Va. -- The primary night party confetti barely got cleaned up before the focus of the Virginia political world shifted from intra-party scuffles to the big prize: power and control at Virginia's Capitol come November.
Several controversial political figures in Central Virginia lost their primary contests — Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Petersburg) and Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) — and those races might likely influence how each party framed the results of Tuesday's primaries heading into the general election on Nov. 7.
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Republicans want to gain control of the Virginia Senate, which Democrats narrowly control now, and give Governor Glenn Youngkin full control of state government.
Democrats can currently block the governor's agenda items they do not support or call dangerous for Virginia.
Unsurprisingly, both parties said Wednesday the primary results left them feeling poised to win both chambers in the fall.
Democrats said abortion access and voting rights will be rolled back if Republicans control Virginia's legislature with Youngkin in power.
"Democracy itself is on the ballot women’s reproductive healthcare freedom is on the ballot; Virginia is the last safe haven in the South," House Minority Leader. Del. Don Scott (D-Portsmouth) said.
"Our Senate majority has been the one thing standing between Virginians and Republicans' extreme agenda. Senate Democrats have prevented Republicans in Richmond from banning abortion, making it harder to vote, rolling back gun safety laws," Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Sen. Mamie Locke (D-Hampton) said.
Meanwhile, Virginia Republicans said they can present a united message moving forward.
All 10 candidates endorsed by Governor Youngkin ahead of the primaries won. That combined with a wave of wins by more left-leaning progressive candidates over incumbents in Democratic primaries showed the party has lurched left, Republicans argued.
"With [Youngkin], we can actually cut taxes, support and fund our police, and actually keep the woke stuff out of the schools and away from our kids," Glen Sturtevant, now the Republican nominee in Senate District 12, said.
"We have a Governor who has significant support among Republicans and independents, he’s articulated an agenda that has the broadest appeal," Rich Anderson, Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said. "On the other side of the aisle, I think some actions and policy perspectives have been articulated by the other party that are not very appealing to the broadest cross-section of the public.”
Those arguments from both parties were given life via two closely watched races in Central Virginia.
Lashrecse Aird cruised to victory in the 13th Senate District Democratic primary, likely ending the political career of Joe Morrissey.
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Aird's campaign centered on abortion access and Morrissey's self-described "pro-life" views as a threat to care.
In Senate District 12, Sturtevant prevailed in a close race again Amanda Chase, who described herself as "Trump in heels."
Although Youngkin did not directly weigh in on this race, Chase regularly clashed with Senate GOP leadership and Sturtevant was already a known commodity, having previously served in the Virginia Senate.
“The results almost tell us how the campaign is going to come in the fall," CBS 6 Political Analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth said.
Dr. Holsworth said millions of dollars in outside spending will pour into Virginia for several reasons.
Since Virginia's elections are one of the only in the nation this year, many view it as a primer for where voters are ahead of the 2024 presidential race.
With what some call Youngkin's continued "flirtation" with the presidential bid and Democrats vowing the protect abortion access post-Roe, Holsworth said the national implications could be interesting.
"Everyone is going to come into Virginia to suggest, which message is going to work. It’s really going to be about maybe 10 races total, but those races are going to be channeled with money and resources like we’ve never seen before," Holsworth said. "Can somehow the Governor shift that narrative, and shift the narrative to his claim the Democrats are not to be trusted with sort of an orientation to the center. We’ll have to see how that works out, but that has not been a message the Republicans have been successful in countering in a number of states.”
The general election is set for November 7.
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