VA Congressional Election: Luria Concedes; Beyer, Wexton, Spanberger Claim Victory

Editor's note: Last updated at 11:01 p.m. Tuesday

ALEXANDRIA, VA — All incumbents but one are projected winners in Virginia's 2022 congressional midterms, according to unofficial results Tuesday.

In the closely-watched 2nd congressional district race in Hampton Roads, CNN is projecting Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) will be defeated by Republican challenger Jen Kiggans. Luria has 105,148 votes and Kiggans has 128,302 votes with 234 of 247 precincts reporting. Luria, who flipped the seat in 2018, is conceding to Kiggans, WAVY TV reported.

All of Virginia's 11 U.S. House seats were up for election in the 2022 midterms on Tuesday, Nov. 8 with redrawn district maps. Congressional races were called by media outlets after polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

In the 8th congressional district, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) is the projected winner by the Associated Press and NBC News. Beyer has 166,183 votes while Republican challenger Karina Lipsman has 52,734 votes and Independent Teddy Fikre has 3,267 votes with 137 precincts of 182 precincts reporting.

In the 11th congressional district, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) is the projected winner by AP as of 9:17 p.m. Connolly has 134,769 votes while Republican challenger Jim Myles has 62,563 votes with 108 of 186 precincts reporting.

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) has held onto her 10th district seat for a third term, NBC News and CNN projected. Wexton has 150,628 votes while Republican challenger Hung Cao has 133,165 votes with 196 of 209 precincts reporting.

CNN and AP projected Abigail Spanberger is the winner of the competitive 7th district race, which has different district boundaries after redistricting. Spanberger has 139,631 votes while Republican challenger Yesli Vega has 128,701 votes with 212 of 226 precincts reporting.

Wexton and Spanberger claimed wins in the race, giving victory speeches Tuesday night in their districts.

Other non-competitive congressional races have projected winners. The Associated Press called the 9th congressional district race for incumbent Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) as of 7:54 p.m. and incumbent Ben Cline (R-VA) in the 6th congressional district as of 8:03 p.m. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) was named the projected winner in the 3rd congressional district as of 8:09 p.m. Rep. Donald McEachin (D-VA) was named the projected winner in the 4th congressional district, and Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) was named the 1st congressional district winner by AP at 9:03 p.m. Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) was named the projected winner in the 5th congressional district by AP at 9:04 p.m.

Election night results are unofficial, as mail-in ballots postmarked by Nov. 8 can be received by registrars by Monday, Nov. 14 and same-day registration votes are processed. Localities must certify results on Nov. 15, and the state board of elections will certify results on Monday, Dec. 5, according to Virginia Election Commissioner Susan Beals.

Patch will update this story with results as they roll in and you can find real-time updates below. Check back frequently for live updates.

The University of Virginia's Center for Politics labeled the 10th district as likely Democrat, 7th district as leans Democrat and 2nd district as leans Republican.

Kyle Kondik, an analyst at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, noted in a tweet last week it would be a "megawave" for Republicans if the 10th congressional district seat is flipped. If the 2nd congressional district seat stays blue, Kondik said Democrats "are likely doing much better than expected."

In the 8th congressional district, incumbent Beyer (D-VA) faced Republican challenger Lipsman. The redrawn 8th congressional district map still includes all of the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, and City of Falls Church. However, there were boundary adjustments in Fairfax County. The 2022 Cook Political Report's House race ratings labeled the 8th district as solid Democrat.

Beyer sought a fifth term as the 8th congressional district representative. He is chair of the Congress Joint Economic Committee and a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and House Committee on Science Space and Technology. Beyer previously served as ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Obama's administration and lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998. In June, Beyer defeated Democratic primary opponent Victoria Virasingh with 77 percent of the vote.

Lipsman, the Republican challenger, is a Ukrainian refugee who came to the U.S. as a child and is now a U.S. citizen. Lipsman has worked for 14 years in national defense and intelligence and was chosen as a candidate during a May Republican convention.

In a statement, Beyer thanked voters as well as Lipsman and Fikre for their willingness to seek election.

"I am grateful to voters in Northern Virginia for again putting their confidence in me to represent them in the House of Representatives," said Beyer. "I will continue to do all I can to earn their trust, and to serve my constituents."

Lipsman congratulated Beyer and thanked supporters as well.

"I was born in Soviet Ukraine, and the fact that I was selected by voters to run for U.S. Congress is a true testament to the greatness of this country," Lipsman said in a statement. "It was my true honor to compete to represent Northern Virginia in Congress, and I so deeply appreciate the faith, support, and backing of so many people in this district.

In the 11th congressional district, incumbent Connolly (D-VA) faced Republican challenger Myles. The district now contains a larger portion of Fairfax County and still contains all of the City of Fairfax. However, the redrawn map no longer includes parts of Prince William County. The 11th congressional district is considered solid Democrat in the 2022 Cook Political Report's House race ratings.

Myles, the Republican challenger, is a retired federal judge and U.S. Air Force veteran. He was chosen as a candidate during a May Republican convention.

The other congressional races in Northern Virginia were the 7th and 10th congressional districts. Wexton, who defeated incumbent Republican Barbara Comstock in 2018, sought re-election in the 10th district against Republican challenger Cao. The 2022 Cook Political Report labels the election as a likely Democrat competitive race. The redrawn 10th district boundaries still include Loudoun County, part of Prince William County and Manassas but no longer have parts of Fairfax County.

In the 7th district, the boundaries are significantly redrawn, previously including part of the Richmond suburbs and now focusing on areas north of the Richmond metro area. The 7th district now includes part of Prince William County as well as Stafford County, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania County and other areas. Incumbent Spanberger (D-VA) faced a challenge from Republican Vega, who is the Coles District supervisor in Prince William County. According to the 2022 Cook Political Report, the race is labeled as a Democrat toss up race.

Polls were open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day Tuesday. Unofficial election start to come in after polls close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8 on the Virginia Department of Elections website.

REAL-TIME RESULTS FOR VA CONGRESSIONAL RACES

Results Are Preliminary

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