Recount ahead in 41st House District?

Unofficial election results Tuesday night appeared to give Democratic candidate Eileen Filler-Corn a slim victory over Republican Kerry Bolognese in the race for a vacant House of Delegates seat.

But the margin between the two appears to be narrow enough for a recount.

Under state law, a recount can be requested when an election tally shows two candidates divided by fewer than one percent of the total votes cast.

In this case, 42 votes separate Filler-Corn (5,757 votes) and Bolognese (5,715 votes).  That's fewer than one percent (114.79) of the 11,479 votes cast.

The two are seeking a northern Virginia seat vacated by former Del. Dave Marsden (D), who was elected to the state Democrat-controlled Senate earlier this year in another special election.

Republicans hold the majority in the House.

While recounts aren't commonplace in Virginia, they aren't unheard of either.

Just last year, Ron Villanueva's (R) victory over former Del. Bobby Mathieson (D) for a seat representing Virginia Beach in the House of Delegates was affirmed following a recount.

UPDATE: Republicans have opted not to request a recount, according to a published report, and Filler-Corn is present in the House of Delegates today (Wednesday).

-- Julian Walker

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