A random name-draw has determined that the Republicans will retain their majority in the Virginia state legislature, putting an end to a bizarre race between two candidates. State officials literally reached into a bowl — an "artsy stoneware" offering borrowed from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, per The Washington Post — and drew the name of incumbent Del. David Yancey, a Republican, delivering defeat to Democratic candidate Shelly Simonds and ensuring Republicans a 51-49 majority.
The race between Yancey and Simonds was originally decided in November, when Yancey appeared to best Simonds by 10 votes. But a December recount showed Simonds actually winning by a single vote — until a judicial panel decided the next day to throw out one of Simonds' votes, throwing the race into a tie. Virginia law stipulates that in the event of a tie, a race is decided by "lot," or random chance.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments lawSpeed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security lawSpeed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitutionspeed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidenceSpeed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulationsSpeed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriageSpeed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation courtSpeed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
