Republican wins lottery-style drawing in tied Virginia state House

By Gary Robertson

4 January 2018 at 11:52 am

By Gary Robertson

RICHMOND, Va. (Reuters) - Republican incumbent David Yancey won a lottery-style drawing aimed at resolving a tied Virginia House of Delegates race on Thursday but the losing Democrat said she could challenge the results.

State elections board Chairman James Alcorn's drawing of Yancey's name from a ceramic bowl could give Republicans a 51-49 advantage in the 100-seat House. But Democrat Shelly Simonds said she was weighing her options, raising the prospect of a second recount.

"At this moment I am not conceding. I am reflecting on a hard campaign," Simonds told reporters after the drawing.

The electoral equivalent of a coin toss was the latest twist after a recount showed Simonds beating Yancey by one vote for the 94th District seat. A three-judge panel later ruled that a disputed ballot should be counted for Yancey.

The deadlocked race occurred during Democrats' massive gains in Virginia's statehouse elections in November. The wins were part of the party's first big wave of political victories since Republican President Donald Trump won the White House in 2016.

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