On Tuesday the Virginia House of Delegates lost 15 seats in the Election 2017 bloodbath that swept the Commonwealth but were able to hang onto a slim GOP majority.
House of Delegates Speaker-designee Kirk Cox released the following statement after canvasses were completed on Wednesday with his 51-49 Republican majority announcement:
“Based upon the results of today’s canvasses, Caucus Chairman Tim Hugo and Delegate David Yancey have been re-elected, resulting in Virginians electing a 51 to 49 Republican majority in the Virginia House of Delegates.
“Unfortunately, we lost a number of capable and dedicated public servants Tuesday night in the most difficult political environment in decades. Facing millions of dollars in spending organized by dozens of outside groups, we ran principled campaigns based on positive ideas, the issues important to our local communities, and our proven track record of governing success. We are disappointed to see the departure of our colleagues, but we thank them for their service and wish them each the very best in their next steps forward.
“We also welcome our new colleagues, Republican and Democratic alike. Serving in the oldest, continuously-elected legislative body in the new world is a distinct privilege that comes with great responsibility. While divisiveness and discord are spreading in the political arena at large, the House of Delegates as an institution always maintained a strong sense of respect and decorum. Our intention is to see that continue in the years ahead.
“Our majority will be smaller, but our resolve and commitment to good governance based on conservative principles remains strong and unwavering. Over the next several months, we will continue to lay out a clear vision and advance specific policies to improve and enrich the lives of our fellow Virginians. And, in the coming 2018 Session, the House Republican majority will continue focusing on those issues important to us all and the real challenges people face every day.
“We again extend our congratulations to Governor-elect Ralph Northam on his election. Throughout the campaign, he pledged to work across the aisle to cut taxes, make college more affordable, and fight the opioid crisis. We plan to hold him to those commitments and look forward to finding areas where we can work together on other issues. We also plan to serve as a check and balance to any effort to push an extreme liberal agenda, as our constituents elected us to do.”