Republicans strengthened their hold on the Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday, defeating at least six Democratic incumbents and setting the stage for the GOP to dominate the governing body well into the next decade.
Among the new Republican legislators is Chris P. Stolle, a Virginia Beach physician who defeated Del. Joe F. Bouchard, a Democrat, in the 83rd District race. Stolle's brother, Kenneth W. Stolle, a state senator, was elected the city's sheriff Tuesday.
Del. R.W. "Bobby" Mathieson, a Democrat, was in a close race with Beach City Council member Ron A. Villa-nueva, a Republican, in the 21st District. Villanueva was leading by a slim margin late Tuesday.
The other 14 incumbents from South Hampton Roads - Democrats and Republicans - won new two-year terms. They will be joined by newcomer Matthew James, a Democrat, who defeated Jennifer Lee, a Republican, to win the 80th District seat, which represents parts of Chesapeake, Norfolk and Portsmouth. James replaces longtime legislator Kenneth Melvin, who resigned this year and is now a Circuit Court judge.
With 100 House of Delegates seats up for election this year, 30 incumbents were unopposed in their reelection, including seven in South Hampton Roads.
The GOP lost at least two seats Tuesday. Del. Phil Hamilton, R-Newport News, who is the target of House ethics investigations, was defeated by Democrat Robin Abbott. The seat held by Del. Jeff Frederick, R-Woodbridge, who did not seek another term, went to a Democrat, Luke Torian.
The number of Democratic incumbents who lost was unusually high for Virginia. During the past 14 years, almost all incumbents were re-elected. In most years, no more than two were voted out of office in an election, according records compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project.
In picking up the extra seats, the Republicans virtually lock in their control of House legislative affairs for the next 10 years, said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political science professor.
Under the current system, Republicans in the General Assembly will control the process in 2011 when the new lines are drawn after the 2010 U.S. Census. If past practices are followed, Republicans - as the party in power - could create House districts that favor their members and possibly force incumbent Democrats into the same district, where they would have to run against each other.
"When they gain that many seats, they're not going to do bipartisan redistricting - not a chance," said Sabato, who has long supported having an independent panel redraw lines for legislative and congressional districts every 10 years. "Why would they give away the hammer that they have? It would be politically stupid."
The bigger GOP majority also "nearly guarantees" that McDonnell's legislative programs will pass at least one house of the General Assembly, he said. Democrats still have a majority in the Senate; their 40 members are not up for election until 2011.
Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com