CB and I live in Virginia, and our state had a great Election night! Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, easily won reelection with a hilarious 22-point margin. Like, all of the pollsters called his race the moment the VA polls closed. Virginians also did our part to flip the House, with at least one Republican representative getting tossed out. While there are still a couple of races up in the air, it’s likely that VA’s House seats will have a 8-3 split between Democrats and Republicans and that’s pretty great. As soon as those DOGE psychos fired half of Northern Virginia’s federal workers, Republicans could pretty much kiss their election chances goodbye in VA for several generations.

The VA midterms were also significant because of several ballot measures to amend the state’s constitution. All of the measures passed by huge margins as well, including the amendment to protect Virginians’ reproductive rights:

On Election Day, Virginians approved three amendments to enshrine reproductive, marriage and voting rights for former felons into the state’s constitution, the culmination of a multi-year journey through the state legislature galvanized by lawmakers, advocates and major federal shifts.

Over 61% of voters answered yes to Ballot Question 1 as of 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections. It asked if access to contraception, fertility treatment and abortions should be protected.

On Ballot Question 2, which asked if a defunct ban on same-sex marriage should be removed from the constitution, 56% of voters replied affirmatively.

The third ballot question asked whether the voting rights restoration process for formerly incarcerated people should become automatic or remain petition-based. 55% of voters said yes.

The mood was optimistic and festive throughout the night at a watch party in Richmond hosted by Virginians For Reproductive Freedom, the coalition of advocacy groups that spearheaded outreach about the first of the three amendments. By the time results were called just past 9 p.m. for the referendum, glasses were raised, excited screams were made, and then dancing continued.

The first amendment drew the most debate from lawmakers, healthcare professionals, advocates and the public — with tears, shouting, and a call of “out of order” on the day it first cleared the legislature in 2025 and increasingly intense campaigns for and against it this year.

“Never again will our reproductive rights be a political football in Virginia,” said Han Jones, campaign manager for Virginians For Reproductive Freedom said Tuesday shortly after victory was declared. “It takes multi-year concerted work, but as you can see in Virginia, it’s paying off.”

Constitutional amendments have to pass the General Assembly two years in a row before making it to ballots. The reproductive rights amendment received pushback each step of the way and opposition from every Republican member of the General Assembly while the two other amendments saw slim bipartisanship. Proponents had sought the measure because Virginia is the only southern state without deep restrictions or bans on abortion.

After federal protections were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested reviewing contraception next.

[From Virginia Mercury]

This makes me emotional, to think back on the multiyear project undertaken by Virginians to protect and enshrine their reproductive rights into the commonwealth’s constitution. It really was a huge f–king deal, especially because (as they mention) VA is the only Southern state to still have full abortion access. Our cool new governor Abigail Spanberger made a statement too:

Virginians made clear that reproductive rights are not up for debate. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, states across the South and across the country rolled back these rights. But not Virginia.

Our Commonwealth remains the only state in the South that has not restricted women’s reproductive freedoms since the Dobbs decision. Now, because Virginians used their voices at the ballot box, these rights will be enshrined in our Constitution. No politician can threaten our right to choose, right to privacy, right to access IVF, or right to contraception.

As a mother, I know that these decisions are deeply personal. As Governor, I am proud that our Commonwealth voted to make sure personal medical decisions stay between a patient and their doctor — not politicians.

[From Spanberger’s Twitter]

It’s just awesome. It’s also a microcosm of the larger blue wave, and what the hard work of politics, advocacy and voting can really do.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.