The Democratic candidate in the Virginia state Senate special election is projected to win, while the Republican in a South Carolina state House race leads by a small margin.
Democrat Mike Jones is projected to win the Richmond-area state Senate seat vacated by Ghazala Hashmi, who was elected as Virginia’s lieutenant governor in November, The Hill news outlet reported. In the Tuesday election, Jones received 69.9% of the vote, compared to Republican John Thomas’ 30.1%, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Jones was expected to win the seat, as former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district in 2024 by 30 points.
“Dr. Jones’ victory tonight is yet another proof point that Democrats — who remain focused on lowering costs for families — have the momentum across the country,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement.
“In election after election, voters are rejecting Donald Trump and his unaffordable, out-of-touch agenda and are instead putting their faith in Democrats who will fight for working families instead of billionaires.”
Meanwhile, in South Carolina, Republican Greg Ford is leading Democrat Dr. Sonja Ogletree Satani 50.3% to 49.7% in Tuesday’s election, a difference of 21 votes, according to Decision Desk HQ, The Hill news outlet reported. The candidates are looking to replace state Rep. Chris Murphy (R), who announced his resignation in August.
Voter turnout in the special election was about 14%.
President Trump won the Charleston-area district by 7 points in 2024. Murphy won the seat by 14 points in that year’s election against Satani, WCIV reported.
State law requires an automatic recount when the margin between two candidates is less than or equal to 1%.
The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of Murphy’s term, which ends with the November 2026 election. They will also take the seat for the start of the state legislature’s 2026 session, which begins on Jan. 13.
