WASHINGTON — Del. Tim Hugo, a member of Virginia’s House Republican leadership, has been narrowly re-elected to represent parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties, a recount confirmed Thursday.
In the final tallies, Hugo beat Democrat Donte Tanner by a total of 99 votes rather than the 106-vote margin that had been certified by the State Board of Elections.
Many of the changes are due to ballots that machines may not have counted a vote from on election night due to extra marks or different types of marks near the candidate’s names as opposed to a single, completely filled-in bubble.
It is the first of four House recounts to be completed that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of the chamber that they had held 66-34 before Nov. 7.
Recounts are scheduled Tuesday in the 94th District in Newport News where the margin is 10 votes, Wednesday in the 68th District around Richmond where the margin is 336 votes and Thursday in the 28th District representing parts of Stafford County and Fredericksburg where the margin is 82 votes.
In the 28th District, Democratic voters have filed a federal lawsuit seeking a new election due to the at least 147 voters in the area who cast ballots in the wrong races. The campaign for Democrat Joshua Cole, who trails Republican Bob Thomas in the race, has also raised the prospect of asking the General Assembly to order an election redo.
If the recounts and other challenges do not change any results, Republicans would hold a 51-49 majority.
