If there’s one thing Virginia Democrats can take solace in, it’s this: The Virginia State Senate won’t be up for reelection until 2023.
The Republican Party’s close but consistent wins across the state undeniably show that the GOP could have added another state government trifecta to its ranks on Tuesday.
As it stands, Democrats have a two seat majority in the upper chamber.
Which such a tenuous hold on power, political observers looked to Sens. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax City) and Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond). Both have conservative views on hot-button issues likely to come up in the next legislative session.
In a polarized and divided Senate, they could be far more influential on shaping these policies than they could ever be otherwise. (Virginia Mercury)
“It’s a new day,” said Morrissey, a pro-life Democrat who said Texas-style abortion legislation goes too far but declined to say what changes to Virginia law he might be inclined to support. “I am a very strong proponent of the right to life. That’s as far as I’m going to go. Folks can read into it what they want; I will carefully consider any and all legislation.”
Petersen, who joined with Morrissey and Republicans earlier this year to make school reopening a focus of the legislative session, meanwhile, continued to criticize restrictions on after school activities and mask mandates that Democrats have generally supported — a subject of many passionate floor speeches he delivered over the past year.
“Once we go back into session it will have been two years since the pandemic began,” Petersen said. “I think we’re getting to the point where we need to move on and get on with our lives.”
The comparisons to moderate Democratic holdouts in Washington, Arizona’s Sen. Kristen Sinema and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, were instantaneous.