Senator Aaron Rouse on Day One: 20 Photos #Virginia
RICHMOND, VA — After a rare seat flipping win in one of the most deep purple locations in Virginia, Aaron Rouse is now a member of the Virginia Senate. With today’s swearing-in of the former Virginia Beach City Councilman, the Virginia Senate is now 22 Democrats and 18 Republicans.
Rouse, a Democrat, defeated Republican Kevin Adams by 696 votes in a special election on Jan.10. In a region known for particularly close elections the win was a boost to Democrats right before the start of a General Assembly session in an election year that will include many competitive races.
A lengthy line of visitors waiting to be seated in the Senate Visitor’s Gallery stretched from the third floor mezzanine level of the Virginia State Capitol Building all the way down the steps and finally to the first floor. Congresswoman Jen Kiggans was seen in a first floor hallway, shortly before Rouse would officially fill the state senate seat she vacated, during a week when the U.S. House is on recess. Kiggans’ Senate seat is now filled by a Democrat in a special election. A pending general election will take place on on Nov. 7 will take place in 293 days in Senate District 22nd (the new DS07) on November 7. The newly drawn Senate District 22 is more favorable for Democrats as compared to Senate District 7.
Rouse’s supporters filled the gallery after driving north from Virginia Beach and Norfolk to witness two rare political events: A change in party control and a Black State Senator being sworn-in to office. There are now five: Rouse and Senators L. Louise Lucas, Mamie Locke, Jennifer McClellan and Lionell Spruill.
Rouse told reporters after the ceremony that he would focus on public schools and education. Because of Rouse’s election victory and the four seat advantage Democrat now have in the Virginia Senate, it is expected that Governor Glenn Youngkin’s plans to pass more restrictive abortion laws will fail.
What does the Rouse victory mean? Black Virginia News asked Maurice Hawkins, an omnipresent operative involved in Virginia Beach politics who has knocked doors and campaigned for endless candidates in perhaps the most politically competitive location in Virginia.
“I think this is a significant shift in the political headwinds in Virginia Beach specifically and in the Commonwealth of Virginia more broadly,” Hawkins said,
“I think that the Rouse victory is emblematic of the importance of building a diverse coalition across racial lines, across sexual orientation and gender identification lines and across religious lines. I think that he is the face of a new political force that is going to weigh heavily on Virginia politics for many years to come. And I think he also has potential to go even higher politically",” Hawkins explained.
Hawkins was joined in the Senate gallery today to witness Rouse’s first day in the Senate by a who’s who of players in Virginia Beach area Democratic politics — many of whom are perpetually involved in assisting campaigns with the grassroots-level work of politics in a state that has elections every year. The group included Susan Hippen (who is running in HD96), Michael Feggans (who is running in HD97) and businessman Gary McCollum (who founded Due The Right Things PAC).
Thursday (Jan. 19) will be Senator Rouse’s first full day in the Virginia Senate.
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