Virginia elections: Democrat Schuyler VanValkenburg unseats Siobhan Dunnavant in Senate upset

Democratic Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg unseated Republican incumbent state Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant in a major upset for Republicans, who had hoped to gain control of the Virginia Senate.

VanValkenburg, a high school civics teacher who serves in the Old Dominion's lower chamber, defeated Dunnavant, a practicing OB-GYN, in the Henrico-area 16th District.

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The Richmond suburb's decision to send a Democrat to Richmond may be a death knell in Republican chances to gain control of the upper chamber, which has acted as a bulwark against Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R-VA) priorities.

Like many races across Virginia, abortion was at the center of this battle.

Dunnavant had presented herself as a centrist on the matter and ran on a more permissive stance compared to Youngkin's 15-week limit he has united most of the party behind. The Virginia Republican proposed a roughly 16-week ban with more lenient exceptions than Youngkin's three: rape, incest, and life of the mother.

VanValkenburg said Dunnavant is "proposing a ban," but the incumbent voted against Youngkin's plan when it was before the Senate.

VanValkenburg said he supports Virginia's current 26-week cutoff.

Both candidates pushed bipartisan bona fides and their willingness to go against their parties in the district that favors Democrats but has a Republican incumbent.

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Dunnavant was endorsed by Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares and received donations from several fellow state senators.

VanValkenburg was endorsed by Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), as well as the late former Rep. Donald McEachin.