Dem Refuses to Concede After Losing Lottery Drawing in Tied Va. Election
The craziest election of 2017 finally reached its procedural conclusion Thursday as the Virginia Board of Elections held a drawing to determine the winner of House District 94. The Republicans won the random drawing, maintaining a narrow one-seat majority in the Virginia House of Delegates.
JUST IN: "Virginia Board of Elections randomly chooses Republican David Yancey as winner of previously tied Virginia House of Delegates race" House District 94. pic.twitter.com/VTa28mMt5Y
— Trad American Angel (@RightWingAngel) January 4, 2018
Initially, Democrat Shelly Simonds was declared the winner by a margin of one vote, but a three-judge panel ruled that a discarded vote for Republican incumbent David Yancey should have been counted, leaving the race tied at 11,608 votes each.
Simonds filed a lawsuit to challenge the uncounted ballot, but the recount court rejected the challenge and upheld the previous ruling.
Fortune smiled on the Republicans, as Yancey won the random lottery drawing, preserving the 51-49 GOP majority in the state legislature. But it might not be over.
On Wednesday, the Democrat Simonds said that “all options are still on the table” since Yancey had declined her offer to make the drawing final.
We made an offer to make the draw tomorrow final, which Yancey has declined. Just to be clear: no deal means all options are still on the table for us moving forward.
— Shelly Simonds (@shelly_simonds) January 3, 2018
I will continue to fight. Yancey has declined my offer to make the draw tomorrow final, so I guess the only sure thing is that this won't be settled tomorrow. I'm sorry that my district may not have representation Jan 10 because of this.
— Shelly Simonds (@shelly_simonds) January 3, 2018
Reportedly, Simonds is not conceding.
Democrat Shelly Simonds refuses to concede after officials pick a winner by drawing in tied Virginia House of Delegates race, says all options still on the table
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 4, 2018
What are these “options?” According to Virginia law, while tied elections are to be determined by lot, “any person who loses the determination by lot may petition for a recount.”
So Simonds could ask for yet another recount in the election that never ends. Stay tuned! (For more from the author of “Dem Refuses to Concede After Losing Lottery Drawing in Tied Va. Election” please click HERE)
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