2007 Virginia Senate election

2007 Virginia Senate election
All 40 seats in the Virginia Senate ; 21 seats needed for a majority
Majority Leader before election; Walter Stosch ; Republican	Elected Majority Leader; Dick Saslaw ; Democratic

Last updated November 30, 2025

The 2007 Virginia Senate election was held on 6 November 2007 to determine which party would control the Virginia Senate for the following four years in the 155th Virginia General Assembly. All 40 seats in the Virginia Senate were up for election. Prior to the election, 24 seats were held by Republicans and 16 seats were held by Democrats. The general election saw Democrats flip 5 seats, thereby gaining a majority in the State Senate for the first time since 1995.^[1]^[2]

Retirements

Republicans

District 19: Charles R. Hawkins retired.
District 27: Russ Potts retired.
District 28: John Chichester retired.

Defeated incumbents

In primary

Republicans

District 1: Marty Williams lost renomination to Patricia Stall.
District 22: Brandon Bell lost renomination to Ralph K. Smith.

Democrats

District 9: Benjamin Lambert lost renomination to Donald McEachin.

In general

Republicans

District 6: Nick Rerras lost re-election to Ralph Northam.
District 34: Jeannemarie Devolites Davis lost re-election to Chap Petersen.
District 39: Jay O'Brien lost re-election to George Barker.

Closest races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

District 37, 0.20%
District 27, 1.20%
District 28, 1.40%
District 22, 1.80%
District 39, 1.90% (gain)
District 1, 2.50% (gain)
District 29, 8.30%
District 6, 8.80% (gain)

Results

District 1

District 1 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sharon Hewitt	15,502	51.10%
	Republican	Patricia Stall	14,771	48.60%
		Scattering	93	0.30%
Total votes			30,366	100.0%
	Democratic gain from Republican

District 2

District 2 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mamie Locke (incumbent)	12,242	94.10%
		Scattering	772	5.90%
Total votes			13,014	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 3

District 3 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tommy Norment (incumbent)	29,669	95.10%
		Scattering	1,531	4.90%
Total votes			31,200	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 4

District 4 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ryan McDougle (incumbent)	33,148	98.30%
		Scattering	571	1.70%
Total votes			33,719	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 5

District 5 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Yvonne B. Miller (incumbent)	10,977	96.90%
		Scattering	350	3.10%
Total votes			11,327	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 6

District 6 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ralph Northam	17,307	54.30%
	Republican	Nick Rerras (incumbent)	14,499	45.50%
		Scattering	45	0.20%
Total votes			31,851	100.0%
	Democratic gain from Republican

District 7

District 7 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Frank Wagner (incumbent)	15,426	96.80%
		Scattering	517	3.20%
Total votes			15,943	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 8

District 8 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ken Stolle (incumbent)	13,137	95.60%
		Scattering	606	4.40%
Total votes			13,743	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 9

District 9 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Donald McEachin	16,782	80.90%
	Independent	Silver Persinger	3,789	18.30%
		Scattering	169	0.80%
Total votes			20,740	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 10

District 10 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Watkins (incumbent)	27,515	97.60%
		Scattering	689	2.40%
Total votes			28,204	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 11

District 11 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Steve Martin (incumbent)	16,478	62.40%
	Democratic	Alex McMurtie Jr.	4,852	18.40%
	Independent	Roger Habeck	3,879	14.70%
	Independent	Hank Cook	1,138	4.30%
		Scattering	54	0.20%
Total votes			26,401	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 12

District 12 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Walter Stosch (incumbent)	26,265	97.30%
		Scattering	737	2.70%
Total votes			27,002	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 13

District 13 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Fred Quayle (incumbent)	21,114	58.60%
	Democratic	Steve Heretick	14,821	41.10%
		Scattering	83	0.30%
Total votes			36,018	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 14

District 14 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Harry Blevins (incumbent)	13,402	70.80%
	Libertarian	W. Donald Tabor Jr.	5,455	28.80%
		Scattering	66	0.40%
Total votes			18,923	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 15

District 15 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Frank Ruff (incumbent)	25,429	59.00%
	Democratic	Bob Wilkerson	17,658	40.90%
		Scattering	37	0.10%
Total votes			43,124	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 16

District 16 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Henry L. Marsh (incumbent)	11,186	66.60%
	Independent	Robert Owens	5,557	33.10%
		Scattering	45	0.30%
Total votes			16,788	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 17

District 17 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Edd Houck (incumbent)	25,178	56.00%
	Republican	Chris Yakabouski	19,754	43.90%
		Scattering	36	0.10%
Total votes			44,968	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 18

District 18 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Louise Lucas (incumbent)	20,260	98.50%
		Scattering	311	1.50%
Total votes			20,571	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 19

District 19 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Robert Hurt	29,735	75.70%
	Independent	Sherman Witcher	9,488	24.20%
		Scattering	46	0.10%
Total votes			39,269	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 20

District 20 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Roscoe Reynolds (incumbent)	30,365	63.00%
	Republican	Willis Jeffery Evans	17,804	36.90%
		Scattering	60	0.10%
Total votes			48,229	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 21

District 21 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John S. Edwards (incumbent)	22,282	98.20%
		Scattering	416	1.80%
Total votes			22,698	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 22

District 22 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ralph K. Smith	21,193	50.80%
	Democratic	Michael Breiner	20,452	49.00%
		Scattering	112	0.20%
Total votes			41,757	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 23

District 23 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Stephen Newman (incumbent)	20,269	97.20%
		Scattering	583	2.80%
Total votes			20,852	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 24

District 24 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Emmett Hanger (incumbent)	23,896	65.40%
	Democratic	R. David Cox	9,757	26.70%
	Libertarian	Arin Sime	2,857	7.80%
		Scattering	46	0.10%
Total votes			36,556	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 25

District 25 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Creigh Deeds (incumbent)	33,339	98.80%
		Scattering	408	1.20%
Total votes			33,747	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 26

District 26 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mark Obenshain (incumbent)	25,955	70.40%
	Democratic	Maxine Hope Roles	10,862	29.50%
		Scattering	47	0.10%
Total votes			36,864	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 27

District 27 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jill Vogel	24,960	48.40%
	Democratic	Karen Schultz	24,301	47.20%
	Independent	Donald Marro	2,170	4.20%
		Scattering	90	0.20%
Total votes			51,521	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 28

District 28 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard Stuart	21,496	50.60%
	Democratic	Albert C. Pollard	20,896	49.20%
		Scattering	74	0.20%
Total votes			42,466	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 29

District 29 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charles J. Colgan (incumbent)	21,010	54.10%
	Republican	Robert Fitzsimmonds	17,766	45.80%
		Scattering	53	0.10%
Total votes			38,829	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 30

District 30 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Patsy Ticer (incumbent)	20,853	95.20%
		Scattering	1,051	4.80%
Total votes			21,904	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 31

District 31 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mary Margaret Whipple (incumbent)	23,380	82.60%
	Independent	Samuel Burley	4,676	16.50%
		Scattering	241	0.90%
Total votes			28,297	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 32

District 32 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Janet Howell (incumbent)	28,089	97.20%
		Scattering	818	2.80%
Total votes			28,907	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 33

District 33 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Mark Herring (incumbent)	27,784	56.90%
	Republican	Patricia Phillips	20,994	43.00%
		Scattering	55	0.10%
Total votes			48,833	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 34

District 34 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Chap Petersen	25,513	55.30%
	Republican	Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (incumbent)	20,490	44.40%
		Scattering	102	0.30%
Total votes			46,105	100.0%
	Democratic gain from Republican

District 35

District 35 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Dick Saslaw (incumbent)	16,856	77.90%
	Independent	Mario Palmiotto	4,532	21.00%
		Scattering	238	1.10%
Total votes			21,626	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 36

District 36 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Toddy Puller (incumbent)	21,441	96.30%
		Scattering	814	3.70%
Total votes			22,255	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 37

District 37 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Ken Cuccinelli (incumbent)	18,602	50.00%
	Democratic	Janet Oleszek	18,510	49.80%
		Scattering	73	0.20%
Total votes			37,185	100.0%
	Republican hold

District 38

District 38 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Phillip Puckett (incumbent)	28,869	99.30%
		Scattering	191	0.70%
Total votes			29,060	100.0%
	Democratic hold

District 39

District 39 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	George Barker	19,892	50.90%
	Republican	Jay O'Brien (incumbent)	19,131	49.00%
		Scattering	41	0.10%
Total votes			39,064	100.0%
	Democratic gain from Republican

District 40

District 40 election, 2007
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	William C. Wampler Jr. (incumbent)	33,524	99.40%
		Scattering	214	0.60%
Total votes			33,738	100.0%
	Republican hold

Notes

↑ A majority of 20 is also possible as the Lt. Gov. of Virginia holds a tie-breaker vote.

References

↑ "Virginia State Senate elections, 2007". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
↑ "Historical Elections Database". historical.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved 29 November 2025.

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[1] A majority of 20 is also possible as the Lt. Gov. of Virginia holds a tie-breaker vote.

[QWS-2] "Virginia State Senate elections, 2007". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved 29 November 2025.

[KKJ-3] "Historical Elections Database". historical.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved 29 November 2025.

[a]

[1]

[2]

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2007 Virginia Senate election

Contents

Retirements

Republicans

Defeated incumbents

In primary

Republicans

Democrats

In general

Republicans

Closest races

Results

Notes

References