Shelly Simonds & David Yancey Tied In Virginia House Race To Decide Control Of Legislature

One single vote appeared to make the difference in the Virginia House of Delegates race between Democrat Shelly Simonds and incumbent Republican David Yancey. After a tight recount, Simonds won the seat with 11,608 votes to Yancey’s 11,607. But on Wednesday, a judge validated a ballot for Yancey, making the election a tie.

A Simonds victory would have given Democrats and Republicans an equal 50-50 split in the Virginia House of Delegates, and would have forced power sharing when the Legislature begins its next term in January.

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine tweeted out, “EVERY. VOTE. MATTERS,” as well as, “In case you ever doubted that your vote matters!”

The Democratic party made unexpected gains in Virginia on voting day, as Dem. Ralph Northam earned a 9-point victory over Rep. Ed Gillespie. Previously, Republicans had a 66-34 advantage in the state’s House, but the Democrats picked up 16 seats last month. Republicans have held the House majority in Virginia since the 1990s.

Simonds ran for the seat in 2015 and lost, but credits her strong showing to the Democratic upset after Donald Trump‘s win. “What a difference this is from 2015 when I ran before,” she said. “Everyone came out and we rocked this town. I want to thank everyone who supported us over the course of this campaign. Whether it was knocking on doors, posting on social media or donating a few dollars, it all made a difference and added up to an amazing outcome on Election Day.”

A Simonds win would bring Democrats one step closer to expanding Medicaid coverage in the state, a long-standing goal of the party. The outgoing governor Terry McAuliffe has tried for expansion, but his pleas were repeatedly denied by the GOP-dominated Legislature. Now the party hopes for Simonds to continue to push.

“We are one vote closer to expanding Medicaid and extending access to affordable health care to nearly 400,000 people,” said delegate David Toscano. “Let’s get this done.”

Gov. Northam’s campaign pledged that he would work to expand Medicaid, but faced backlash after telling the Washington Post that he was willing to negotiate details with the Republicans. He later released a statement reiterating his support for the program. “I have and will continue to advocate for Medicaid expansion because it is a no-brainer for Virginia families, our budget and our economy,” he said. “We can also come together on smart policy choices that will allow us to deliver better care at lower cost.”

Republicans still hold a 21-19 advantage in the Senate, however, and that body isn’t up for reelection until 2019.