Democrat in Virginia House Race Asks to Delay Breaking Tie

UPDATE:

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) -Election officials say they’ve postponed their plan to break a tie in a Virginia House race that could decide party control of the chamber.

Elections Commissioner Edgardo Cortes confirmed the postponement Tuesday in an email to The Associated Press. Election officials had planned to draw names from a bowl Wednesday.

The delay follows an announcement that the Democratic candidate will challenge the race’s vote count in court. Shelly Simonds and her lawyers said the court failed to follow election law last week by allowing a ballot to be counted after a recount had concluded.

The race between Simonds and Republican Del. David Yancey is for the 94th District in Newport News. If Simonds were declared the winner, it would split party control of Virginia’s House 50-50.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) – The Democrat in a tied race for a Virginia House seat that could affect which party controls the chamber says she’ll ask a court to declare the tie invalid.

Shelly Simonds’ lawyers said Tuesday that they’ll ask the court to reconsider its ruling after last week’s recount.

If Simonds were declared the winner in the 94th District in Newport News, it would split control of the legislature 50-50. Currently it’s 51-49 in favor of Republicans.

Attorney Ezra Reese said the court violated election law by counting a ballot for Republican Del. David Yancey a day after the recount.

Election officials plan to draw names from a bowl Wednesday to settle the outcome. Simonds said she’ll ask them to delay the drawing. Simonds and Yancey are tied at 11,608 votes each.

The Virginia House Republican Caucus released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:

“Virginia election law lays out clearly the rules of recounts, which are conducted under the supervision of a three-judge Court with final authority over all matters pertaining to the recount. We followed the process and the Court confirmed the results of the election in the 94th District as a tie. We believe the Court acted appropriately and that the integrity of the process is without question. We are reviewing the filing and determining what, if any, response we might file.”