2015 Virginia Senate election explained

Election Name:	2015 Virginia Senate election
Country:	Virginia
Type:	legislative
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2011 Virginia Senate election
Previous Year:	2011
Election Date:	November 3, 2015
Next Election:	2019 Virginia Senate election
Next Year:	2019
Seats For Election:	All 40 seats in the Senate of Virginia
Majority Seats:	21
Turnout:	1,362,664
Image1:	File:124A5444 (crop).jpg
Leader1:	Tommy Norment
Leader Since1:	January 9, 2008
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Leaders Seat1:	3rd district
Seats Before1:	21
Seats1:	21
Popular Vote1:	716,331
Percentage1:	52.57%
Leader2:	Dick Saslaw
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Leader Since2:	January 10, 1996
Leaders Seat2:	35th district
Seats Before2:	19
Seats2:	19
Popular Vote2:	596,198
Percentage2:	43.75%
Majority leader
Before Election:	Tommy Norment
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Tommy Norment
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)
Last Election1:	20
Last Election2:	20

The 2015 Virginia Senate election was held on November 3, 2015, to elect all 40 members of the Virginia Senate. Republicans retained their 21–19 majority in the chamber.

As of 2023, this is the most recent time that Republicans won a majority in the Senate.

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Previous composition

Affiliation	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)		Total
	Democratic	Republican		Vacant
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	End of Previous Session (2008–2012)		22	18	40	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	Begin	20	20	40	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	July 3, 2012^[1]	19	39	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	September 17, 2012^[2]	20	40	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	August 5, 2013^[3]			19	39	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	August 16, 2013^[4]		20	40	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	January 11, 2014^[5]	18	38	2
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	January 24, 2014^[6]	19	39	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	January 28, 2014^[7]		20	20	40	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	June 8, 2014^[8]	19	rowspan=2	20	39	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	July 2, 2014^[9]	18	38	2
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	August 19, 2014^[10]	18	21	39	1
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	November 4, 2014^[11]	19		40	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	January 13, 2015^[12]	19		40	0
nowrap style="font-size:80%"	Latest voting share	47.5%	52.5%

Summary

Results by district

District 1

See also: Virginia Senate, District 1. -->

District 2

See also: Virginia Senate, District 2. -->

District 3

See also: Virginia Senate, District 3. -->

District 4

See also: Virginia Senate, District 4. -->

District 5

See also: Virginia Senate, District 5. -->

District 6

See also: Virginia Senate, District 6. -->

District 7

See also: Virginia Senate, District 7. -->

District 8

See also: Virginia Senate, District 8. -->

District 9

See also: Virginia Senate, District 9. -->

District 10

See also: Virginia Senate, District 10. -->

District 11

See also: Virginia Senate, District 11. -->

District 12

See also: Virginia Senate, District 12. -->

District 13

See also: Virginia Senate, District 13. -->

District 14

See also: Virginia Senate, District 14. -->

District 15

See also: Virginia Senate, District 15. -->

District 16

See also: Virginia Senate, District 16. -->

District 17

See also: Virginia Senate, District 17. -->

District 18

See also: Virginia Senate, District 18. -->

District 19

See also: Virginia Senate, District 19. -->

District 20

See also: Virginia Senate, District 20. -->

District 21

See also: Virginia Senate, District 21. -->

District 22

See also: Virginia Senate, District 22. -->

District 23

See also: Virginia Senate, District 23. -->

District 24

See also: Virginia Senate, District 24. -->

District 25

See also: Virginia Senate, District 25. -->

District 26

See also: Virginia Senate, District 26. -->

District 27

See also: Virginia Senate, District 27. -->

District 28

See also: Virginia Senate, District 28. -->

District 29

See also: Virginia Senate, District 29. -->

District 30

See also: Virginia Senate, District 30. -->

District 31

See also: Virginia Senate, District 31. -->

District 32

See also: Virginia Senate, District 32. -->

District 33

See also: Virginia Senate, District 33. -->

District 34

See also: Virginia Senate, District 34. -->

District 35

See also: Virginia Senate, District 35. -->

District 36

See also: Virginia Senate, District 36. -->

District 37

See also: Virginia's 37th Senate district. -->

District 38

See also: Virginia Senate, District 38. -->

District 39

See also: Virginia Senate, District 39. -->

District 40

See also: Virginia Senate, District 40.

See also

• 2015 Virginia House of Delegates election
• 2015 Virginia elections

Notes and References

1. Democrat Yvonne B. Miller (District 5) died.
2. Democrat Kenny Alexander replaced Miller after September 4 special election.
3. Republican Harry Blevins (District 14) resigned. Although in theory Democrats had a brief numerical majority, the Senate was not in session. Additionally, rules adopted at the beginning of the 2012 session required a two-thirds supermajority vote to reorganize the Senate mid-session.
4. Republican John Cosgrove replaced Blevins after August 6 special election.
5. Democrats Ralph Northam (District 6) and Mark Herring (District 33) resigned upon being inaugurated Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General, respectively.
6. Democrat Jennifer Wexton elected to succeed Herring.
7. Democrat Lynwood Lewis replaced Northam after January 7 special election and January 27 recount. After regaining a numerical majority in the Senate, the Democrats voted to change the Senate's rules and reorganize the chamber, putting the Senate back under Democratic control.
8. Democrat Phillip Puckett (District 38) resigned. Republicans regained effective control and adopted their own rules change effective June 12.
9. Democrat Henry L. Marsh (District 16) resigned to take a seat on the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
10. Republican Ben Chafin elected to succeed Puckett.
11. Democrat Rosalyn Dance elected to succeed Marsh.
12. Republicans Jeffrey McWaters (District 8), John Watkins (District 10), Walter Stosch (District 12) & Ralph K. Smith (District 19) & Democrats Charles Colgan (District 29) & Toddy Puller (District 36) Retiring, Replaced respectively by, Republicans Bill DeSteph, Glen Sturtevant, Siobhan Dunnavant & David Suetterlein & Democrats Jeremy McPike & Scott Surovell, No seats changing party.