Virginia State Senate District 7 special election, 2023

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Aaron Rouse (D) defeated Kevin Adams (R) in the January 10, 2023, special general election for Virginia State Senate District 7. Rouse's victory gave Democrats a 22-18 majority in the state Senate.^[1] The special election was called after the previous incumbent, Sen. Jennifer Kiggans (R), resigned on November 15, 2022, after being elected to represent Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.^[2]

Going into the election, Democrats had a 21-18 majority in the state Senate (with the District 7 vacancy). According to Daily Kos' David Nir, District 7 "has been very swingy: In 2019, Kiggans won it by less than one point, while Joe Biden carried it by 10 points the following year, only to see [Glenn] Youngkin prevail by 4 points in 2021."^[3]

At the time of the election, Rouse, a former NFL player, had been an at-large member of the Virginia Beach City Council since 2018. Rouse said, “So much is at stake in this upcoming election, from a woman’s fundamental right to choose, which I will fiercely defend, to the efforts that will set us back on voting rights, to addressing climate change, protecting the Chesapeake Bay and waterways, to criminal justice reform.”^[4] Rouse listed education as his top priority, including raising teacher salaries and expanding access to preschool.^[5] Rouse also listed the economy, healthcare, and public safety as priorities.^[5]

At the time of the election, Adams was a retired U.S. Navy lieutenant commander who founded and operated a handyman business. Adams said he will "continue working to pass Governor Glenn Youngkin’s pro-veteran agenda, cut taxes, ease regulations, keep our communities safe, and make it easier for small business owners like me to get started and stay in business.”^[6] Adams' platform included working to improve education and workforce training, supporting veterans, lowering gas, grocery, and sales taxes, and growing "school funding while shrinking the power of left-wing idealogues."^[7]

New state legislative maps took effect on January 11, 2023, at the start of the 2023 legislative. However, this special election took place under previous district lines.^[8] Click here to compare Virginia State Senate Districts before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

Abortion was an issue in the race. Rouse said, "Right now, that’s what we need in Richmond. Extreme Republicans are trying to take away the right to choose in Virginia, rolling back women’s freedom to make their own personal medical decisions.”^[9] On his campaign website, Adams said, "We need to pass laws that respect the rights of the mom and baby, limit late-term abortion by passing Glenn Youngkin's 15-week legislation, while providing reasonable exceptions to protect the life of the mother or in the instance of rape or incest."^[10] Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia endorsed Rouse, and its associated PAC said it would spend around $100,000 on the race.^[11] Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said it would spend $30,000 in support of Adams.^[12]

For more information about the January 10, 2022, special election for Virginia House of Delegates District 35, click the link below:

• Virginia state legislative special elections, 2023

Candidates and election results

See also: Virginia state legislative special elections, 2023

General election

Special general election for Virginia State Senate District 7

Incumbent Aaron Rouse defeated Kevin Adams in the special general election for Virginia State Senate District 7 on January 10, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aaron Rouse (D)	50.8	19,923
		Kevin Adams (R)	49.1	19,227
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	34

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 39,184
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Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Aaron Rouse

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

• Virginia Beach City Council At-large (Assumed office: 2018)
  

Biography:  Rouse graduated with a degree in sociology from Virginia Tech in 2007. His professional experiences includes playing football for the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants and founding Rouse's House, a youth education nonprofit.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Rouse campaigned on education, saying he is would "fight to raise teacher salaries above the national average" and expanding "access to job training in schools so children are prepared for good-paying jobs."

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Rouse campaigned on creating new economic opportunities, saying he would "work to attract new good-paying jobs to the region."

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Rouse campaigned on healthcare, saying he would "fight to lower the cost of health care, including prescription drugs" and "fiercely protect the right to an abortion and defend against any attack on abortion rights."

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Show sources

Sources: Aaron Rouse 2022 campaign website, "Priorities," accessed December 20, 2022; Virginia Tech, "Aaron Rouse," accessed December 9, 2022; City of Virginia Beach, "City Council Members," accessed December 9, 2022; Aaron Rouse 2023 campaign website, "Meet Aaron Rouse," accessed December 9, 2022

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Virginia State Senate District 7 in 2023.

Campaign advertisements

Aaron Rouse

Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Aaron Rouse while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.

Kevin Adams

Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Kevin Adams while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.

Endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

• Aaron Rouse

Election spending

Campaign finance

Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Virginia Department of Elections. Click here to access those reports.

Election context

District map

Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

District history

2019

See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2019

Elections for the Virginia State Senate took place in 2019. The primary was on June 11, 2019, and the general election was on November 5. The filing deadline for candidates was March 28, 2019.

General election

General election for Virginia State Senate District 7

Jennifer Kiggans defeated Cheryl Turpin in the general election for Virginia State Senate District 7 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Kiggans (R)	50.4	29,609
		Cheryl Turpin (D)	49.5	29,098
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	91

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 58,798
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Virginia State Senate District 7

Cheryl Turpin defeated Susan Bates Hippen and Kim Howard in the Democratic primary for Virginia State Senate District 7 on June 11, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cheryl Turpin	58.7	3,268
		Susan Bates Hippen	27.5	1,531
		Kim Howard	13.7	761
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	6

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,566
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Virginia State Senate District 7

Jennifer Kiggans defeated Carolyn Weems in the Republican primary for Virginia State Senate District 7 on June 11, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Kiggans	51.6	4,045
		Carolyn Weems	48.4	3,789
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	2

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,836
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2015

See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2015

Elections for the Virginia State Senate took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 9, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 26, 2015.^[13] Gary McCollum was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Frank Wagner was unopposed in the Republican primary. Wagner defeated McCollum in the general election.^[14]

Race snapshot

The contest was marked by several controversies. In September, McCollum's campaign admitted it had incorrectly represented him as an active major in the U.S. Army Reserve; records show that he was discharged in September 2001. The Republican Party of Virginia called on McCollum to drop out of the race, calling the misrepresentation "an insult to veterans and automatic disqualification for public office."^[15]

Wagner also came under fire that month after making remarks at an event held at the Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia Beach; noting that his district includes "very, very high income [properties] right on down to... rent-assisted places," he said that "I wish sometimes I represented this half, but I've very, very happy to represent the folks I have." McCollum said in a statement, "Unlike Frank, I'm running to represent all the people of the 7th District. No matter their income." The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus inquired as to the intent of Wagner's comments. Wagner's campaign responded that he was joking in reference to Republican supporters in general, not the wealthy. State Sen. Mamie Locke (D), the chair of the Black Caucus, countered, "If you wanted to say 'I wanted to have more Republicans in my district,' that is what you would have said."^[16]

Both candidates were accused of filing incomplete campaign finance reports. On September 22, the Virginia Republican Party filed a campaign finance complaint against McCollum. As a senior executive of Cox Communications' Virginia operations, McCollum had been paid while on leave to campaign, something the GOP said should have been reported as a donation. Cox has since dismissed McCollum from the company. On September 25, the Virginia Democratic Party filed its own complaint, claiming that Wagner had filed a statement without the names of his campaign workers. The Wagner campaign responded that the omission was a simple mistake brought on by a change in software. Fines for offenses in incomplete reports are $100 for the first and $1,000 thereafter.^[17]

In mid-October, McCollum's campaign released a television advertisement claiming that Davis Boat Works, a shipyard Wagner owned until this year, fraudulently billed the U.S. Navy in the late 1990s "to line his own pockets." The company settled a lawsuit by a former accountant for $400,000 after Wagner won election to the Senate in 2000. The accountant claimed that she left the company in 1998 after Wagner demanded that she file false bills. In 2001, Wagner said that he settled in order to maintain Davis' government relations. Following the advertisement, Wagner maintained his innocence, saying that a trial would have cost double the amount of the settlement, and that McCollum was looking to mislead voters.^[18]

The race attracted the attention of Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), who was set to helm a canvassing kickoff on October 24.^[19]

Virginia State Senate, District 7 General Election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Frank Wagner Incumbent	54.2%	18,266
	Democratic	Gary McCollum	45.8%	15,434
Total Votes				33,700

2011

See also: Virginia State Senate elections, 2011

Elections for the office of Virginia State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 23, 2011, and a general election on November 8, 2011. Republican incumbent Frank Wagner was unchallenged in the general election. Wagner was unopposed in the Republican primary election.^[20][21][22]

Special elections throughout the country

See also: State legislative special elections, 2023

In 2023, 53 state legislative special elections were scheduled in 21 states. Between 2011 and 2021, an average of 74 special elections took place each year.

Breakdown of 2023 special elections

In 2023, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:

• 10 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
• 32 due to resignation
• 9 due to the death of the incumbent
• 2 due to removal from office

Impact of special elections on partisan composition

The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:

• 33 Democratic seats
• 20 Republican seats

As of April 1, 2024, Republicans controlled 54.93% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 44.46%. Republicans held a majority in 56 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 40 chambers. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions. Control of the Michigan House of Representatives is split.

Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats
Legislative chamber			Other	Vacant
State senates	847	1,115	4	7
State houses	2,433	2,941	19	20
Total:	3,280	4,056	23	27

The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2023. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections.

Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.

Flipped seats

In 2023, four seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.

Seats flipped from D to R

• Maine House of Representatives District 45 (June 13)
• Massachusetts State Senate Worcester & Hampshire District (November 8)

Seats flipped from R to D

• Virginia State Senate District 7 (January 10)
• New Hampshire House of Representatives District Rockingham 1 (September 19)

See also

• State legislative special elections, 2023
• State legislative special elections, 2022
• State legislative special elections, 2021
• State legislative special elections, 2020
• Virginia State Legislature

Footnotes

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