VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Republican challenger Tim Anderson defeated incumbent Democrat Nancy Guy in the race for the 83rd District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Guy sent out a statement on Wednesday afternoon, conceding to Anderson.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Guy was down more than 700 votes, with Virginia’s Department of Elections site showing 23 of 25 precincts reporting.
10 On Your Side caught up with Delegate-Elect Anderson Wednesday to discuss how he’s feeling after winning.
“The race is over. There’s no more name-calling. There’s no more who’s bad, who’s terrible. Now, it’s time to get to work. And part of my job is to not just make laws, but it’s to connect the people in the 83rd,” he said.
Anderson says he feels like the messaging used by Democrats hurt them statewide.
“They were so desperate to tie us to Trump, all of us, not just me, all of us,” he said. “They weren’t able to get their messaging out about what they may have done that would’ve motivated their base.”
He says he’s heard from Democratic Congresswoman Elaine Luria and feels Democrats and Republicans statewide need to move back toward the center of the political spectrum in order to move Virginia forward.
He says the key to doing that is to reform education, the parole board, vaccine mandates and campaign finance laws.
“You slow down the money that’s coming in from out of state, and it makes the candidates have to actually find messages that reflect the opinions of the voters and then it gets them more connected,” he said. “I think that’s going to make it better for everybody in Virginia on both sides.”
The 83rd District was one of several seats Republicans picked up in the House this election. The AP had yet to call some close races as of Wednesday afternoon, but it looks like the GOP will retake control of the lower chamber of the General Assembly.
Unofficial and incomplete results Tuesday night showed Anderson with a slight lead — 51.5% of the vote — with 96% of precincts reporting.
Guy was first elected to represent House District 83 in the Virginia House of Delegates in November 2017. Her previous political experience includes service as a Virginia Beach School Board member. She focused heavily on education in her first term as delegate, especially the challenges facing public schools during the coronavirus pandemic. She’s also worked closely with Virginia House of Delegates colleagues on environmental and criminal justice issues, according to her WAVY-TV 10 Candidate Profile.
“So we need to address the issues, the workplace issues, the pay issues, causing that problem… We also need to address the learning gaps students are having as a result of the pandemic. Those are the two big issues in education. I’ll continue my hard work on environmental issues,” Guy said Tuesday night before polls closed.
Guy said she believed the most important issue facing House District 83 is the public health crisis posed by COVID-19. She would address these issues by focusing on healthcare access, public education, and the pandemic’s impact on small businesses. If elected, she hoped to tackle legislation that would protect the environment, address flooding, and work toward criminal justice reform.
Anderson is an attorney and small business owner who has lived and worked in Virginia Beach for more than 25 years. He serves as a board member of the Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar and a member of the Davis Corner Rescue Squad. He was inspired to candidacy after the 2017 Virginia House of Delegates election where Democrats obtained the majority in the Virginia General Assembly, according to his WAVY-TV 10 Candidate Profile.
Live election results: