Copyright Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
Democrat challenger Virgil Thornton Sr. flipped the House District 86 seat and ousted incumbent Republican A.C. Cordoza in a close race. The Associated Press called the race for Thornton just after 11 p.m. Thornton garnered roughly 16,700 votes, or more than 53%, while Cordoza had more than 46%, according to unofficial election results. House District 86 is comprised of York County, Poquoson and parts of Hampton. Cordoza was first elected in 2021 and won a bid to represent the redrawn district in 2023. During this year’s campaign, Cordoza came under fire from Thornton for various allegations of misconduct prior to him becoming a delegate. Thornton, who was elected to a two-year term, said his biggest priorities as delegate include championing education and expanding access to technical programs and vocational training to build the state’s workforce. Devlin Epding, 757-510-4037, devlin.epding@virginiamedia.com
