2023 Virginia Senate election

2023 Virginia Senate election

← 2019 November 7, 2023 2027 →
All 40 seats in the Senate of Virginia 21[a] seats needed for a majority
Turnout	39%[1]
Majority party Minority party   Leader Dick Saslaw (retiring) Tommy Norment (retiring) Party Democratic Republican Leader since January 10, 1996 January 9, 2008 Leader's seat 35th–Springfield 26th[b]–Williamsburg Last election 21 19 Seats before 22 17 Seats won 21 19 Seat change 1 2 Popular vote 1,229,331[2] 1,193,583 Percentage 49.8% 48.4% Swing 3.4% 8.6%   Third party   Party Non-Caucusing Republican Last election 0 Seats before 1 Seats won 0 Seat change 1
Democratic hold      Democratic gain      Republican hold      Republican gain
Majority Leader before election Dick Saslaw Democratic Elected Majority Leader Scott Surovell Democratic

Elections in Virginia
Federal government U.S. President 1788–89 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 Dem 2004 2008 Dem GOP 2012 2016 Dem 2020 Dem 2024 Dem GOP U.S. Senate 1788 1790 (sp) 1791 1792 (sp) 1793 1794 (sp) 1796 1798 1799 (sp) 1803 1803 (sp) 1804 1804 (sp) 1808 1809 1811 1814 1814 (sp) 1815 (sp) 1816 1816 (sp) 1819 (sp) 1821 1822 (sp) 1823 1824 1824 (sp) 1827 1829 1832 (sp) 1833 1834 (sp) 1835 1836 (sp) 1837 1837 (sp) 1839 1840 1841 (sp) 1845 1845 (sp) 1846 1847 (sp) 1850 1852 1856 1858 1861 (sp) 1863 1865 1865 (sp) 1870 1871 1875 1877 1881 1883 1887 1889 1893 1893 (sp) 1894 1899 1899 1904 1906 1910 1911 1912 1912 (sp) 1916 1918 1920 (sp) 1922 1924 1928 1930 1933 (sp) 1934 1936 1940 1942 1946 1946 (sp) 1948 1952 1954 1958 1960 1964 1966 1966 (sp) 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2014 2018 2020 2024 2026 U.S. House 1789 1790 9th sp 1793 1795 1797 1798 (9th sp) 1799 1800 (13th sp) 1801 1803 1804 5th sp 13th sp 1805 13th sp 1807 17th sp 1809 21st sp 1st sp 1811 1813 1814 (11th sp) 1815 15th sp 1816 18th sp 23rd sp 1817 1818 (19th sp) 1819 1820 1st sp 10th sp 17th sp 20th sp 1821 1822 (2nd sp) 1823 1824 (13th sp) 1825 1826 (5th sp) 1827 1829 10th sp 1831 1833 1835 1837 1839 1841 1843 1845 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 4th sp 1861 11th sp 1862 (1st sp) 1869 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 7th sp 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 7th sp 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1st sp 1920 4th sp 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 2nd sp 1946 5th sp 6th sp 7th sp 1948 4th sp 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 6th sp 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 5th sp 1990 1991 (7th sp) 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2001 (4th sp) 2002 8th 2004 2006 2007 (1st sp) 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 10th 2020 2022 2023 (4th sp) 2024
State government Governor 1776 1851 1855 1859 1863 C U 1869 1873 1877 1881 1885 1889 1893 1897 1901 1905 1909 1913 1917 1921 1925 1929 1933 1937 1941 1945 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025 Lieutenant Governor 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025 Attorney General 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025 Senate 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 House of Delegates 1975 1977 1979 1981 1982 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 State elections 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2023
Ballot measures Statewide 1970 1972 1974 1976 1977 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Fairfax County 2016
Alexandria Mayor 2012 2015 2018 2021 2024 (List)
Hampton Mayor 2016
Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney 2011 2015 2019
Norfolk Mayor 2006 2010 2014 2016
Richmond Mayor 2016 2020 2024 City Council 2016
Virginia Beach Mayor 2008 2012 2016 2018 2020 City Council 2020
v t e

The 2023 Virginia Senate election was held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, concurrently with elections for the Virginia House of Delegates, to elect senators to all 40 seats in the Senate of Virginia for the 163rd and 164th Virginia Assembly. Nomination primaries held through the Department of Elections were held June 20, 2023.^[3] These were the first elections held following redistricting as a result of the 2020 census.^[4] The Democrats retained control of the Senate, dealing a blow to Governor Glenn Youngkin's hopes of a Republican trifecta should Republicans hold its majority of the House of Delegates, which also didn't happen either.^[5]

This Senate election as well as those for the House of Delegates were held following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, which ruled that abortion is not a constitutional right in the United States. This has led to disappointing election results for the national Republican Party, such as their surprise underperformance in last year's midterm elections and this year's off-year elections, losing or underperforming in many elections and losing state referendums on abortion rights by landslide margins.^[6][7]

Governor Youngkin hoped to sell to the people of Virginia a 15-week "limit" on abortion instead of using the word "ban", fearing such a word to be alienating to voters, this strategy was to help Republicans' message on abortion in a way that doesn't offend swing voters, and Youngkin wanted a Republican trifecta to enact a conservative agenda as well.^[8] but Democrats were able to out message Youngkin and convince Virginians that his abortion "limit" is a ban.

The Democrats retained their majority in the Senate, dashing Youngkin's hopes of a GOP trifecta even if Republicans retained the House of Delegates, which was also won by Democrats simultaneously, re-establishing full control of the Virginia General Assembly that was lost by Democrats in 2021. After the election, Glenn Youngkin said he will not be a candidate for President of the United States in the presidential election.^[9]

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