Virginia At Issue - November 2023
Virginia's Election Results and What They Mean for AOBA
Elections were held in the Commonwealth of Virginia on Tuesday, November 7. This year’s statewide ballot featured contests for all 140 seats of the Virginia General Assembly as well as for local Board seats in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties. Contributing to the consequential nature of this year’s election cycle for AOBA members is the high level of turnover among General Assembly members at the state level, with several prominent and high-ranking elected officials retiring from office. November’s election was also the first time Virginians cast their ballots for a General Election in state legislative districts drawn based on the new bipartisan redistricting process adopted by constitutional amendment in November 2020.
The following is a breakdown of the election results and an analysis of what they may mean for AOBA members.
Virginia General Assembly
Democrats maintained their majority in the state Senate, picking up at least 21 seats, and flipped control of the House of Delegates, where Republicans previously held a narrow advantage. The outcome is a sharp loss for Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who exerted a great deal of political capital to secure a Republican trifecta. Currently, the composition of the House of Delegates sits at 51-49 and the Senate at 21-19.
How the State Election Affects AOBA
With the Younkin Administration still in the Governor's Office for another two years, the Democratic sweep of the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates maintains divided government in Virginia. The Democratic takeover presents challenges for AOBA, as the 2024 session will likely determine whether many eviction prevention measures, which were originally adopted as temporary responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, will have a chance at passing the two chambers to reach Governor Youngkin’s desk. This includes harmful legislation like rent control and extending the pay-or-quit notice from 5 to 14 days.
Many legislators with whom AOBA invested significant time cultivating positive working relationships will now be departing office, and the new crop of policymakers replacing them will need to be educated on the issues impacting commercial and multifamily property owners and managers. In particular, the membership of several of the Committees through which AOBA’s legislative interests are vetted will see significant turnover, including the House and Senate Committees on General Laws, Local Government and Counties, Cities & Towns.
State Election Takeaways and Next Steps for AOBA:
- A return of Democratic control in the House of Delegates and Senate may create challenges for AOBA. Although there is a Republican-led backstop for harmful legislation that passes the two chambers and to the Governor’s desk, we expect a more challenging political environment entering the 2024 General Assembly session in which efforts are anticipated to make permanent the temporary eviction procedures adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- AOBA will need to focus on outreach and relationship-building as the new legislature, especially as a new Democratic House leadership is assembled.
Northern Virginia Election Results: Status Quo Remains Largely Intact
The most notable local races in Northern Virginia were in Prince William County, where campaigns for the Board of County Supervisors took on an increasingly acrimonious tone throughout the autumn. Deshundra Jefferson was elected At Large Chair with 51.4% of the vote; she rode opposition to the Digital Gateway data center project to a surprise victory in the Democratic primary over incumbent Chair Ann Wheeler but has not expressed strident opposition to data centers in general and has shown a greater willingness to embrace multifamily housing during the campaign. Overall, the Democratic party maintained its 5-3 edge on the Board of County Supervisors, so although we expect policy changes under the new Chair, they are likely to be gradual or focused on details.
Elsewhere in Northern Virginia, incumbent Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall was re-elected along with the Democratic Board majority, likely implying policy continuity there. In Fairfax County, Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay was re-elected easily. The Board also retains its 9-1 Democratic majority, with Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity remaining the lone Republican and filling a key role as a contrarian voice. Lastly, in Arlington, Democratic nominees Maureen Coffey and Susan Cunningham won to retain the party’s unanimous control over the County Board; Coffey has been a vocal advocate for multifamily housing, and despite Cunningham’s opposition to the Missing Middle plan passed earlier this year, she has avoided the strident NIMBYism of other opponents and sees apartments as critical to meeting Arlington’s housing needs.
AOBA Supports Flexibility and Certainty in Langston Boulevard Plan
After a decade of community and governmental review, the Arlington County Board approved the Langston Boulevard Area Plan this past weekend. AOBA joined with other business groups, including the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, in encouraging the Arlington County Board to provide credit for supporting legacy businesses and parking planning in assessing development proposals.
The County has identified legacy business support as desirable, but the draft plan did not adequately incentivize property owners to retain those businesses, nor did it account for the fact that many of these businesses serve customers for whom cars are a primary means of travel. We also encouraged the Board to adopt changes in its General Land Use Plan map, rather than leaving those changes for each new parcel development.
Although the County Board did not enact our recommendations, having placed them into the record now will be of use if it becomes necessary to revisit these issues in the future.