NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A Republican seat flipped Democratic in a wild recount Tuesday – with the Democrat winning by a single vote – creating a rare 50-50 tie between the parties in the House of Delegates and refashioning the political landscape in Richmond, Va.
Democrat Shelly Simonds emerged from the recount as the apparent winner in the 94th District of the House of Delegates, seizing the seat from Republican incumbent David Yancey. A three-judge panel still must certify the results, an event scheduled for Wednesday.
Of the 23,866 votes cast in the Newport News district on Election Day, Yancey held a tenuous lead of just 10 votes going into Tuesday’s recount.
But five hours and much nailbiting later, after painstaking counting overseen by local elections officials and the clerk of court, Yancey’s lead narrowed before it gradually disappeared and then reversed, allowing Simonds to beat him by one vote.
The final tally: 11,608 for Simonds to 11,607 for Yancey.
Recount unofficial results: Simonds has 11608, Yancey has 11607. Simonds is the unofficial winner.
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
Power sharing in the House of Delegates is an awkward exercise. Committee chairs have to be negotiated as does the person who will serve as Speaker. With the parties split 50-50, there is no mechanism to break ties and any legislation short of 51 votes does not advance. Republicans hold a slight 21-19 edge in the state senate but with a Democratic lieutenant governor to break ties, and a Democratic governor with veto power, Republicans may be forced to advance a more bipartisan agenda.
As she waited with her sister and daughter outside the building where the recount was conducted, Simonds said she wasn’t going to celebrate until she had confirmation from the city registrar.
“I knew it was going to be a roller coaster ride and the counts were going to change and votes were going to shift around. but I had faith in the system and final outcome,” said Simonds, who stayed off Twitter to avoid anxiety. “This is part of a huge wave election in Virginia where voters came out in record numbers to force a change in Virginia, and I’m really proud to be part of that change and part of that wave election.”
She remembered how a Democrat Jim Scott prevailed in a recount in 1991 to turn a 17-vote loss into a 1-vote win – earning the nickname “Landslide Jim.”
“I may become Landslide Shelly,” she said. “I may become Landslide Shelly. As long as they call me delegate, I’m OK with it.”
Shelly Simonds celebrating outside. pic.twitter.com/YiPzCJfTqq
— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) December 19, 2017
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