Republican Wins Random Draw For Virginia House Seat That Ended In A Tie

Republicans across Virginia breathed a sigh of relief when moments ago a random draw determined that Republican David Yancey would keep his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates after a state official pulled his name out of a bowl Thursday, deciding a contest that ended in a tie in November. As a result of nothing more than luck, the GOP will also keep control of the chamber.

Or, as one twitter commentator put it, "welcome to 2018 where a $9.99 product from Crate & Barrel determines elections…"

The draw took place after Yancey and Democrat Shelly Simonds each received 11,608 votes in their Newport News-based district. Initial results showed Yancey leading by just ten votes. A recount gave Simonds a one-vote edge. But Republicans challenged a single ballot, resulting in a tie, the Hill reported.

Democrats sued to overturn the challenge, but on Wednesday a three-judge panel rejected their complaint. That led to Thursday’s drawing, in Richmond, out of a special bowl crafted by the resident potter at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

The lucky draw has major implications as Yancey would be the 51st Republican in the 100-member House of Delegates. Before November’s elections, Republicans held 66 seats. But Democrats put up a surprisingly strong showing, netting 15 Republican-held seats — and coming within a single vote of claiming a tie.

Virginia state law allows the loser of the draw to request a second recount. Simonds said Wednesday she would not request a second recount if she lost the drawing. Yancey declined to make the same pledge, although luckily he wont have to.

Comments

SWRichmond Gap Admirer Jan 4, 2018 12:27 PM

They did follow the law exactly.  Does that then make them a banana republic?

Well they allegedly followed this one particular piece of the law, perhaps, but only because, as denizens of the system, they needed to maintain the illusion.  But shall we talk about the rest of election law, like voter registration, immigration and citizenship laws, which they routinely ignore?  Or would you now like to ask me what those tings have to do with this election and its results?

It's a banana republic.

 

In reply to by Gap Admirer

Gap Admirer SWRichmond Jan 4, 2018 12:35 PM

Yes, lets talk about the rest of the law.  Which ones were broken and by which political entities?  Here's a start:

1) Registering illegal aliens to vote - DemTard action.

2) Registering the dead to vote - DemTard action.

3) Registering one's pets to vote - DemTard action.

4) Political campaigning by the "press" without reporting it as campaign contributions - DemTard action.

The story is about having to draw for the winner of a state election, based on the law.  You commented that it was a banana republic.  Great that you now changed the subject to talk about overall system problems making all states, and the U.S. in general, banana republics.

In reply to by SWRichmond

Bondosaurus Rex Gap Admirer Jan 4, 2018 12:27 PM

It was a racist bowl. The bowl was invented by oppressed minorities and absconded by racists. The bowl instinctively knows to be subserviant to white male dominance. That's why bowl starts with bow. To bow down to whitey....

Heard this crap for years. Why are the black olives in a can while the green olives can be seen in the jar!

 

 

In reply to by Gap Admirer

vaporland The_Juggernaut Jan 4, 2018 1:50 PM

indeed. levar stoney, newly minted mayor of richmond virginia and protege of terry mcauliffe, was losing by several thousand votes and an overall margin of 14% when the 'absentee' ballots were added to the mix.

somehow stoney won the mayoral seat with a vast majority of the absentee votes that were totally out of proportion to his general election votes...

In reply to by The_Juggernaut

Blanco Diablo Newsboy Jan 4, 2018 1:34 PM

The Republican Dictionary.
ALARMIST, (n.) Any respected scientist who supports labeling and understands the threat of GMO modified foodstuffs.
ALLIES, (n.) Foreigners who do what Republicans tell them to do. BALANCED, (adj.) 1. favoring corporations (a more balanced approach to the environment.);
BANKRUPTCY - (n.) A punishable crime when committed by poor people but not corporations.
CLASS WARFARE, (n.) Any attempt to raise the minimum wage.
COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATISM, (n.) Poignant concern for the very wealthy.
DEMOCRACY, (n.) My way or the highway.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY, (n.) 1. When three out of five software engineers who lost their jobs to outsourcing are able to find part-time work at Wal-Mart. 2 (n.) Cutting Workers Pay
ELECTION FRAUD, (n.) 1. A significant minority turnout 2. (n) Accurate ballot count
FREE MARKET (n.) Halliburton no-bid contracts at taxpayer expense.
GAY PERSON, (n)  1. Democratic Voter  2.(adj) Any one who disagrees with Tax Cuts for the Rich
GIRLY MEN, (n.) 1. Those who do not grope women. 2. (n) Closeted Gay ie; (see Rick Perry) 3.(n) Governor that wears everything a lesbian won't. ie;(see Rick Perry)
GOD - (n.) Senior Republican Presidential adviser.
GROWTH (n.) 1. The justification for tax cuts for the rich. 2. What happens to the national debt when Republicans cut taxes on the rich.
HONESTY (n.) Lies told in simple declarative sentences--e.g., "Freedom is on the march."2. (adj) Tax Cuts for the Rich create jobs
JOB GROWTH, n. Increased number of jobs an individual has to take after losing earlier high-paying job.
LAZINESS (n.) When the poor are not working.
LIBERAL(s) (n.) 1. Followers of the Anti-christ. 2.(n.) Democratic Voters (see Gay Person)
MIDDLE CLASS, (adj.) Over paid Under taxed Republican voters
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND - riff. 1. (v.) There are always jobs in the military. 2. (n.) The rapture.
OWNERSHIP SOCIETY, (n.) A civilization where 1 percent of the population controls 90 percent of the wealth.
POLITICAL CAPITAL, n. What a Republican president receives as a result of a razor-thin margin of victory in an election. 2 (n) Republican Supreme Court Appointees (see Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia) 3.(n) electronic voting fraud
PRO-LIFE - (adj.) Valuing human life up until birth.
RESOLUTE, (adj.) Pig-headed.
SIMPLIFY - (v.) To cut the taxes of rich Republican donors.
SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, (n.) rich person (see Middle Class)
SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM, (n.) Leave no Wall Street broker behind. 2 (n) Throw Granny and disabled under the bus
STAYING THE COURSE, (v.), The act of being stubborn and unable to admit glaring policy mistakes; being wrong and sticking with the wrong idea regardless of the consequences. ie; see Teabagger
TAX SIMPLIFICATION, n. A way to make it simpler for large US corporations to export American jobs to avoid paying US taxes.
TEABAGGER, n. A whining fool shouting loudly for liberty but not willing to pay the bill. 2 (n) Refuses to be confused by facts 3.(adj) Economic Terrorist calling for Jihad on the infirm and Elderly while defending the Rich off shoring jobs in the name of Free Trade
TEABAGITIS, (adj) A condition in which the afflicted desires to be teabagged so obsessively, that nothing else matters. 2 (n) Refuses to be confused by facts 3.(v) Preaches the Gospel from the Book of Koch
VOTER FRAUD - (n.) A significant minority turnout. 2, (n) Accurate ballot count
WAL-MART - (n.) The nation-state, future tense.
WATER - (n.) Arsenic storage device.
WOMAN - (n.) 1. Person who can be trusted to bear a child but can't be trusted to decide whether or not she wishes to have the child. 2. Person who must have all decisions regarding her reproductive functions made by men with whom she wouldn't want to have sex with in the first place.

 

In reply to by Newsboy

j0nx Jan 4, 2018 11:36 AM

Thank god. It isn’t over yet as the dem will most likely do everything she can to overturn this. I am calling the va gop today to demand that John Whitbeck step down as head. It’s preposterous this clown still has that job after letting all those gop seats fall under his watch. Fire this loser now or not another dime from me. 

Harry Lightning Jan 4, 2018 11:39 AM

This is rubbish, a massive fraud. Russian agents were seen in the municipal building in Richmond in the hours before the drawing. There were two of them, a man and a woman, and they were speaking a foreign language that probably sounded like Russian. They obviously colluded with the Republican candidate and secretly stuffed the ballot bowl with an inordinate amount of his name ballots, significantly increasing his odds of winning the election.