Virginia Democrats overperform in double election victory

Democrats have retained two seats in Virginia’s General Assembly after winning a pair of special elections by significant margins on Tuesday night. 

Democrat Mike Jones defeated Republican John Thomas to win the election in Virginia Senate District 15, a seat vacated by state senator Ghazala Hashmi last year.

Charlie Schmidt, a community activist and former attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, defeated Republican Richard Stonage to win in House District 77, the seat Jones vacated to run for state Senate.

Jones won 69.84 percent of the vote and Schmidt won 79.39 percent, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections as of early Wednesday.

This is a developing story. More to follow.