Despite a low turnout due to snowy conditions in Virginia, Democrat Kathleen Murphy defeated Republican Craig Parisot for a Virginia House seat by a margin of just 324 votes in a special election to fill newly elected Republican Congresswoman Barbara Comstock’s seat. However, with Murphy’s election, Democrats are still greatly outnumbered (67 Republicans to 33 Democrats), in the Virginia House of Delegates.
While voters in Virginia do not register by party, elections results show the 34th District, which includes Great Falls, McLean and parts of Vienna and Loudoun County, is equally Democrat and Republican.
Murphy, 66, is an advocate of stricter gun laws, renewable energy resources, requiring colleges to report sexual assaults to the police, and is against “personhood” anti-abortion laws.
“I will fight to protect the rights of all Virginians no matter their religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation,” Murphy states on her website. “I will be an advocate for the reproductive rights of women, our voting rights and for the civil rights of all our citizens.”
Media Resources: Washington Post 1/6/15; Murphy for Deligate homepage; Ballotpedia