VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It's a new election but the result was the same: Democrat Aaron Rouse defeated Republican Kevin Adams for Virginia's newly drawn Senate District 22 race, according to the Associated Press. It's the second time in less than a year that Rouse won an election over Adams.
As of 11:50 p.m. Tuesday, Rouse is leading the race with 56% of the vote, compared to 44% for Adams.
"Virginia Beach, we did it," Rouse wrote in a Facebook post.
Rouse first defeated Adams in a special election back in January under the old Senate District 7 boundaries, winning by a few hundred votes and flipping the seat from Republican to Democrat. The newly-drawn Senate District 22 covers central and southwest Virginia Beach from Town Center to Stumpy Lake.
Rouse has always called Virginia Beach home. He’s a former NFL player and Virginia Beach City Councilman. He said finding tax relief for families is a big priority for him.
“Trying to make sure people don’t have to choose between affordable healthcare and rent and putting food on the table,” he previously told 13News Now.
Rouse is also focused on protecting abortion rights and building up the education system.
“We have to make sure to do our part not only to retain teachers, but continuously build and modernize our schools and make sure teacher salaries are at a level they are supposed to be,” Rouse said.
Rouse's old Senate District 7 was Republican-leaning and had been represented by Jen Kiggans before she won her race for Congress in November 2022. The newly drawn 22nd Senate District leans more Democratic, with statewide races going back to 2016 favoring the Democratic candidate over the Republican candidate.
The 22nd is located entirely in Virginia Beach and represents nearly 150,000 registered voters. This was the first election since new electoral maps came into effect.
Rouse will be sworn in on January 10, when the 2024 session of the Virginia General Assembly convenes.