Copyright Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
The second time appears to have been the charm for Democrat Jessica Anderson, who defeated incumbent Republican Del. Amanda Batten in the race to represent District 71 in the Virginia House of Delegates. Preliminary figures on Tuesday identified Anderson as the winner by 5.5 percentage points. Absentee and provisional ballots must still be tallied, which will be completed by Nov. 12 in Williamsburg, city spokeswoman Nicole Trifone said. The rematch was among Virginia’s costliest House of Delegates contests, with Anderson raising nearly $3 million — more than twice what Batten’s campaign brought in, according to the latest campaign finance figures. State Democratic leaders poured resources into Anderson’s campaign, identifying District 71 earlier this year among 14 seats in the House of Delegates they hoped to flip. Anderson’s campaign had significant statewide support, including more than $1.7 million from the House Democratic Caucus and more than $280,000 from the Democratic Party of Virginia, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Batten’s campaign also benefitted heavily from statewide party support, with the Republican State Leadership Committee providing $330,000 and the Republican Party of Virginia furnishing nearly $300,000. Much of those funds were used to produce advertisements, including television commercials by Anderson’s campaign. Both candidates mustered a large team of volunteers to engage with voters around the district, which includes Williamsburg, most of James City County and roughly the eastern half of New Kent County. Batten said that she and her volunteers knocked on tens of thousands of doors, connecting with voters and listening to their concerns. Significant population growth in James City and New Kent, which are among the fastest growing localities in Virginia, meant that Batten’s team made an effort to connect with new residents of House District 71, while at the same time shoring up support among longtime residents, according to Batten. Batten said the biggest issue she heard when door-knocking in the district, which she continued through Election Day, was the cost of living for everyday items, not only food and household goods, but also for energy. Prior to the election, Batten said that the General Assembly would have to address Virginia’s energy needs, especially because of the construction of numerous data centers around the commonwealth. Anderson said that she hoped to build on momentum from her first race against Batten in 2023, which she lost by 667 votes — a margin of under 2% of votes cast. In the 2024 presidential election, voters in House District 71 preferred Kamala Harris over Donald Trump 51.5% to 46.8%. According to Anderson, she got the sense from conversations with voters that she could win the seat because the overwhelming majority were concerned about bread and butter issues, and she said her campaign offered practical solutions. She said she expected many voters to split their vote between parties and support her candidacy even though they might otherwise vote Republican. Anderson cited affordability, too, as a top concern among residents of District 71 and said she centered her campaign on lowering costs, providing access to health care and supporting public education. She said she also spoke to many voters about three constitutional amendments — about reproductive health care, restoration of felons’ voting rights and marriage equality — that the General Assembly will consider in its 2026 session. Addressing supporters in Williamsburg Tuesday night, Anderson thanked staffers, friends, family and volunteers for their work. She said that when she first ran against Batten in 2023, she did not have anywhere near as much support as she did in this campaign. The widespread support this time, she said, allowed her to focus on listening to District 71 constituents. “We met voters right where they needed to be met,” which was on their doorstep, she said. Ben Swenson, ben.swenson05@gmail.com
