A third Democratic candidate has filed for a recount contesting the results of the November 7 election that nearly cost Republicans their majority status in the Virginia House of Delegates. The campaign of Josh Cole, the Democratic nominee in last month’s District 28 race, requested the recount Friday in Stafford Circuit Court, following in the footsteps of similar efforts mounted recently by fellow Democratic House of Delegates hopefuls Donte Tanner and Shelly Simonds. Republicans currently hold 66 of the 100 seats in the lower house of Virginia’s legislature, but that number is expected to change significantly next year as an outcome of last month’s vote.
Republicans are slated to maintain control of the House in 2018 by a narrow 51-49 margin, according to preliminary results, but recounts requested by Democrats in the 28th, 40th and 94th District races risk costing the GOP its existing majority if even a single outcome is successfully reversed.
In the 28th District encompassing parts of Stafford and Fredericksburg, Mr. Cole lost to Republican candidate Bob Thomas by only 82 votes, according to preliminary results. Mr. Cole’s campaign said that 147 voters were given ballots for the wrong district, however, and has demanded the mix-up be addressed.
Full Article: Democrats request third recount in Virginia House of Delegates races – Washington Times.