PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Longtime Democratic Senator Louise Lucas has secured another term in the Virginia Senate, fending off a challenge from Republican Anthony "Tony" Goodwin.
As of 10:12 p.m. Tuesday, Lucas is leading the race with 59% of the vote, compared to 41% for Goodwin.
Lucas made protecting reproductive rights a cornerstone of her campaign.
“I am going to make sure we crush the Governor’s ban on reproductive rights. That’s number one,” said Lucas, who called it “the hot-button issue.”
Virginia is the only southern state to not issue an abortion ban following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end protections in Roe. v Wade. Governor Glenn Youngkin has made clear he supports a 15-week abortion ban with exceptions. Lucas' opponent had also shared that position.
The longtime incumbent also said she wants more funding for public schools, citing a report saying the state’s education system is underfunded when compared to national and regional averages. Lucas, who chairs the Senate education and health committee, also noted the need for equal resources for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
“What I bring to the table is not about Louise Lucas, or how long I have been a senator in Virginia or how long I've been elected,” she previously told 13News Now. “It’s who can deliver for Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Hampton Roads... and clearly, that choice is me.”
Shortly after 9 p.m., Lucas took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and shared a video of her victory speech.
She captioned the post: "Thank you so much! I am so excited to have been re-elected to a ninth term in the Senate of Virginia and with our now clinched Democratic Majority to be the next Chairman of Senate Finance and Appropriations!!!"
In a Facebook post, Goodwin conceded the election and thanked his supporters.
"We the People have spoken and the majority believe that we are heading in the right direction," Goodwin wrote. "All of you that supported our message I personally thank you. For many of you that helped spread that message and wrote letters and knocked on doors I really appreciate your dedication."
The newly drawn 18th Senate District encompasses roughly 147,500 registered voters across Portsmouth and Chesapeake people. This was the first election since new electoral maps came into effect.
Dating back to 2016, Democrats have handily won both statewide and federal elections within the new district's parameters. The closest race was the 2021 gubernatorial election, where Democrat Terry McAuliffe won the district over Republican Glenn Youngkin by 20 percentage points.
Lucas will be sworn in on January 10, when the 2024 session of the Virginia General Assembly convenes.