Yesterday, Delegate Mark Keam announced he’s stepping down from the Virginia House. Today, House Speaker Todd Gilbert announced a special election to fill Keam’s vacancy for January 10. The open seat is in Vienna and is considered a safe Democrat district. The early January date will ensure the seat is filled before the General Assembly convenes for the 2023 session.
This is a welcome contrast from when Democrats were in control of deciding when a special election should take place. In 2021, Democrat governor Ralph Northam and State Senator Dick Saslaw ordered a special election to fill a vacancy in the state senate after the session concluded. Going into that session, the state senate would’ve been 21 Democrats to 19 Republicans, leaving no room for holding together the Democrat razor thin majority. 21 to 18 gave Democrats in leadership a little more breathing room at the expense of an entire senate district losing representation in the upper chamber of the General Assembly. That’s hardline politics that do not belong in a democratic republic.
One way to stop such political games is for legislation to require a swift election. That legislation is in the State Senate right now, SB 66, from State Senator David Suetterlein. It is a good bill that has been continued to 2023. Yesterday, Democrats were publicly asking for a quick special election, so let’s hope those same Democrats keep that expectation and support SB 66.
Filling vacancies shouldn’t be a political game played by those in power. It is good to see Governor Youngkin and House Speaker Gilbert are ignoring the precedent of their immediate predecessors. A special election in January will give Vienna representation during the 2023 session. Stark contrast from the hardline games played by Virginia Democrats.
