Days after Democrats conceded control of the Virginia House of Delegates to Republicans, they walked back that concession as two key races in which the GOP holds razor-thin leads appeared headed for recounts.
As of Tuesday, vote counts show Republicans with 50 seats and holding slight leads in two additional seats that have still not been called by The Associated Press. Democrats have 47 seats and are leading in one other district that has not been called.
In both districts where Republicans are leading, the margins are under 0.5%, which allows candidates to request state-funded recounts.
In District 91, Democrat incumbent Del. Martha Mugler conceded to Republican challenger A.C. Cordoza Friday. Mugler’s concession was quickly followed by a statement from Democratic House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, who acknowledged that with Mugler’s concession, the Republicans had control of the House, with 51 seats.
But Mugler walked back her concession over the weekend after final absentee and provisional ballots were tallied and Cordoza’s lead shrunk to just 94 votes out of 27,388 votes counted.
In House District 85, Republican challenger Karen Greenhalgh’s lead over Democratic incumbent Del. Alex Askew narrowed to just 127 votes out of 28,413 votes counted after final absentee and provisional ballots were tallied.
