GOP Wins Virginia Special Election by 25 Points — And the Winner's Message Should Scare Democrats
Andrew Rice ran on roads, farms, and affordability. He won 62.5% of the vote. No national talking points needed. #Virginia
GOP Wins Virginia Special Election by 25 Points — And the Winner's Message Should Scare Democrats
Republican Andrew Rice didn't just win Virginia's 98th House of Delegates special election on Tuesday. He demolished the competition, taking 62.5% of the vote against Democrat Cheryl Smith in a district that should be competitive. That's a 25-point blowout in a state where Democrats have been gaining ground for a decade.
Who Is Andrew Rice?
Rice is a deputy commonwealth's attorney in Virginia Beach — a prosecutor from Pungo, the rural southern end of the city. He's not a career politician. He's a law enforcement professional who decided to run after the death of longtime Republican incumbent Barry Knight in February.
His campaign priorities tell you everything about what grassroots Virginians actually care about:
Supporting the agricultural community
Addressing safe road access to Sandbridge
Affordability and cost of living
Protecting green space while allowing economic growth
Countering "progressive overreach" in Richmond
No culture war grandstanding. No national talking points. Local issues, common sense, and a willingness to fight progressive policies in the state capital. That's the formula.
The Message That Should Worry Democrats
Rice's victory speech was notably non-partisan — and that's what makes it effective. "Party politics don't have a place in doing what's best for your district," he said. "So if I have to work across party lines to make sure that something happens in the 98th that needs to happen, that's exactly what I'm going to do."
That's not a MAGA firebrand talking. That's a local conservative who sounds reasonable, runs on real issues, and wins by 25 points. Democrats can't write off a candidate like that as an extremist. They can't campaign against him with national attack ads. He's talking about roads and farms and affordability — and voters are responding.
The Virginia Context
This matters beyond one House seat. Virginia has a major redistricting referendum coming up on April 21 — a $22 million Democrat push that critics say could give them a 10-to-1 congressional advantage. Former AG Jason Miyares is leading grassroots opposition to it.
Rice's 25-point win suggests that grassroots Republican energy in Virginia is far from dead, despite what the national narrative would have you believe. If the GOP can run common-sense local candidates who connect with their districts, they don't need national megaphones to win.
What His Opponent Said
Credit to Democrat Cheryl Smith, a retired teacher, who conceded gracefully and said she hoped Rice would "see these people" and "listen to them and try to be open-minded." She previously challenged Barry Knight for the same seat last year.
The voters of District 98 made their choice clear. A 25-point margin isn't a squeaker — it's a mandate. And for grassroots Republicans looking for a model of how to win at the state level, Andrew Rice just gave them one.
Further Reading
• WHRO: Republican Wins Virginia Beach Special Election
• WTKR: Andrew Rice Wins HD-98 Special Election
• Chicago Tribune: Virginia HD-98 Special Election Results