Virginia General Assembly 2026-2027: What to Watch This Election Season

October 7, 2025

As Virginia heads into a new legislative session, the General Assembly is poised for membership changes that will shape the Commonwealth’s 2026-2027 landscape.

Besides the high profile races for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, all 100 seats in the House of Delegates are also up for re-election (Virginia State Senators serve four-year terms and their next election will be in 2027). With new open seats, several competitive districts, and control of the House in the balance, stakeholders should be paying close attention to who will be sitting in Richmond next January.

At Roboro, we’re committed to helping you stay ahead of the curve by delivering actionable legislative insights to support proactive advocacy. We’ll continue to update this post and deliver more coverage on members as we head into November and the next legislative session.

Open Seats & New Faces

Five districts will see turnover as incumbents step aside. These races are worth monitoring, as new members bring fresh priorities and can develop into influential voices in the chamber.

District 33, Counties of Page, Rockingham (part), Shenandoah, and Warren (part)

Former Delegate C. Todd Gilbert (R), who was also Speaker of the House, served in the House of Delegates since 2005 before stepping down to assume a U.S. attorney position. The race for this vacant seat is between Catherine E. “Cathy” Rec (D) and Justin L. Pence (R).

District 46, Counties of Grayson, Pulaski (part), Smyth, and Wythe

Incumbent Jonathan “Jed” E. Arnold (R) served in the House of Delegates since 2023 and has decided not to seek reelection. The race for this seat is between Jamie R. Hendry (D) and Mitchell D. Cornett (R).

District 49, Counties of Halifax (part) and Pittsylvania (part); City of Danville

Incumbent Daniel “Danny” W. Marshall III (R) served in the House of Delegates since 2002 and has decided to retire. The race for this seat is between Gary P. Miller (D) and Madison John R. Whittle (R).

District 62, Counties of Culpeper (part), Greene, Madison, and Orange (part)

Incumbent Nicholas “Nick” J. Freitas (R) served in the House of Delegates since 2016 and has decided not to seek reelection. The race for this seat is between Sara H. Ratcliffe (D) and Karen F. Hamilton (R).

District 89, Cities of Chesapeake (part) and Suffolk (part)

Incumbent N. Baxter Ennis (R) served in the House of Delegates since 2024 and has decided not to seek reelection. The race for this seat is between Karen Robins “Kacey” Carnegie (D) and Michael K. “Mike” Lamonea (R).

Competitive Districts (10)

Several races in Virginia’s House of Delegates are taking place in competitive districts, with control of the chamber on the line. Recent coverage in in Virginia Mercury highlights five races to watch this fall, while Virginia Scope takes a closer look at candidates in some of the most competitive districts. Here’s a list of who is running in these districts:

District 21, County of Prince William (part)

Incumbent Joshua E. Thomas (D) vs. Gregory Lee "Greg" Gorham (R)

District 22, County of Prince William (part)

Incumbent Ian T. Lovejoy (R) vs. Elizabeth R. Guzman (D)

District 57, Counties of Goochland (part) and Henrico (part)

Incumbent David L. Owen (R) vs. May Nivar (D)

District 65, Counties of Spotsylvania (part) and Stafford (part); City of Fredericksburg

Incumbent Joshua G. Cole (D) vs. Sean C. Steinway (R)

District 71, Counties of James City (part) and New Kent (part); City of Williamsburg

Incumbent Amanda E. Batten (R) vs. Jessica L. Anderson (D)

District 75, Counties of Chesterfield (part) and Prince George (part); City of Hopewell

Incumbent Carrie Emerson Coyner (R) vs. Lindsey M. Dougherty (D)

District 82, Counties of Dinwiddie (part), Prince George (part), and Surry; City of Petersburg

Incumbent Kim A. Taylor (R) vs. Kimberly Pope Adams (D)

District 86, County of York (part); Cities of Hampton (part) and Poquoson

Incumbent A. C. Cordoza (R) vs. Virgil G. Thornton, Sr. (D)

District 89, Cities of Chesapeake (part) and Suffolk (part)

Karen Robins "Kacey" Carnegie (D) vs. Michael K. "Mike" Lamonea (R) (no incumbent)

District 97, City of Virginia Beach (part)

Incumbent Michael B. Feggans (D) vs. Timothy V. Anderson (R)

Who's Returning (Running Unopposed) (15)

Many familiar faces will continue to shape Virginia’s policy agenda. These incumbents, many of whom hold leadership positions or key committee assignments, are running unopposed in November and will be returning to the House of Delegates. They are all Democrats.

Alfonso H. Lopez (D) – District 3, County of Arlington (part); City of Alexandria (part)

Delegate Alfonso H. Lopez has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2012. Del. Lopez earned his bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and his J.D. from Tulane University Law School.

Del. Lopez served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources (chair)
Communications, Technology and Innovation
Labor and Commerce
Public Safety

Helpful Links:

Charniele L. Herring (D) – District 4, County of Fairfax (part); City of Alexandria (part)

Delegate Charniele L. Herring has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2009. She is also the Majority Leader of the House. Del. Herring earned her bachelor’s degree from George Mason University, and her J.D. from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.

Del. Herring served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Labor and Commerce (vice chair)
Rules
Health and Human Services
Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources

Helpful Links:

Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker (D) – District 5, City of Alexandria (part)

Delegate Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2022. Del. Bennett-Parker earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and her master’s degree from the University of London.

Del. Bennett-Parker served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Counties Cities and Towns (vice chair)
Finance
General Laws

Helpful Links:

Rozia A. "J.R." Henson Jr. (D) – District 19, Counties of Fairfax (part) and Prince William (part)

Delegate Rozia A. “J.R.” Henson Jr. has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2024. Del. Henson earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia State University and his MBA from the University of Maryland, University College.

Del. Henson served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Privileges and Elections
Communications, Technology and Innovation
Health and Human Services

Helpful Links:

Luke E. Torian (D) – District 24, County of Prince William (part)

Delegate Luke E. Torian has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2010. Del. Torian earned his bachelor’s degree from Winston-Salem State University, his Master of Divinity from Virginia Union University, School of Theology, and his Doctor of Ministry from Howard University, School of Divinity.

Del. Torian served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Appropriations (chair)
General Laws
Rules

Helpful Links:

Briana D. Sewell (D) – District 25, County of Prince William (part)

Delegate Briana D. Sewell has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2022. Del. Sewell earned her bachelor’s degree from The College of William and Mary and her master’s degree from American University.

Del. Sewell served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Counties Cities and Towns
Education
Transportation
Appropriations

Helpful Links:

Katrina E. Callsen (D) – District 54, County of Albemarle (part); City of Charlottesville

Delegate Katrina E. Callsen has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2024. Del. Callsen earned her bachelor’s degree from Yale University and her J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law.

Del. Callsen served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Counties Cities and Towns
Finance
Courts of Justice

Helpful Links:

Amy J. Laufer (D) – District 55, Counties of Albemarle (part), Fluvanna (part), Louisa (part), and Nelson (part)

Delegate Amy J. Laufer has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2024. Del. Laufer earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and her master’s degree from Columbia University Teachers College.

Del. Laufer served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Finance
Education
Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources

Helpful Links:

Destiny L. LeVere Bolling (D) – District 80, County of Henrico (part)

Delegate Destiny L. LeVere Bolling has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2024. Del. LeVere Bolling earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond and her master’s degree from George Washington University.

Del. LeVere Bolling served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Privileges and Elections
Labor and Commerce
Education

Helpful Links:

Delores L. McQuinn (D) – District 81, Counties of Charles City, Chesterfield (part), and Henrico (part)

Delegate Delores L. McQuinn has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2009. She has also been House Minority Caucus Seargent at Arms since 2012. Del. McQuinn studied at Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Union University.

Del. McQuinn served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Education
Transportation
Appropriations

Helpful Links:

Marcia S. "Cia" Price (D) – District 85, City of Newport News (part)

Delegate Marcia S. “Cia” Price has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2016. Del. Price earned her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College, her master’s degree from Howard University, and her Master of Divinty from Virginia Union University.

Del. Price served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Privileges and Elections (chair)
Health and Human Services
General Laws

Helpful Links:

Don L. Scott Jr. (D) – District 88, City of Portsmouth (part)

Delegate Don L. Scott Jr. has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2020. He is also the Speaker of the House. Del. Scott earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and his J.D. from Louisiana State University.

Del. Scott served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Rules (chair)

Helpful Links:

C. E. "Cliff" Hayes Jr. (D) – District 91, Cities of Chesapeake (part) and Portsmouth (part)

Delegate C. E. “Cliff” Hayes Jr. has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2016. Del. Hayes earned his bachelor’s degree from Norfolk State University and his Master of Management from Cambridge College.

Del. Hayes served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Communications, Technology and Innovation (chair)
Health and Human Services
Appropriations
Rules

Helpful Links:

Jackie Hope Glass (D) – District 93, City of Norfolk (part)

Delegate Jackie Hope Glass has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2022. Del. Glass earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale.

Del. Glass served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Communications, Technology and Innovation
Privileges and Elections
Transportation
Agriculture Chesapeake and Natural Resources

Helpful Links:

Alex Q. Askew (D) – District 95, Cities of Norfolk (part) and Virginia Beach (part)

Delegate Alex Q. Askew has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2024, and had previously served from 2020-2022. Del. Askew earned his bachelor’s degree from Hampton University.

Del. Askew served as a member of the following committees in 2025:

Counties Cities and Towns
Education
Appropriations

Helpful Links:

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