Virginia's 94th House of Delegates district
{{short description|Virginia legislative district}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
File:Virginia's 94th House of Delegates district (since 2024).svg
Virginia's 94th House of Delegates district elects one of the 100 members of the Virginia House of Delegates, the lower house of the state's bicameral legislature. The district is made up of part of Newport News, Virginia.[https://www.vpap.org/offices/house-of-delegates-94/redistricting/ House of Delegates District 94 map] at Virginia Public Access Project site.{{cite web |title=House District 94 |publisher=Virginia Division of Legislative Services |url=http://redistricting.dls.virginia.gov/2010/Data/2011HouseMaps/HB5005%20-%20House%2094.pdf |postscript=. Map.}}
The district has been represented by Democrat Shelly Simonds since 2020.[http://historical.elections.virginia.gov/elections/search/year_from:1947/year_to:2016/office_id:8/district_id:27396 Virginia Elections Database: district 94] at Virginia Department of Elections site[https://www.vpap.org/offices/house-of-delegates-94/elections/ 94th district: Elections]. Virginia Public Access Project site. In 2017, an extremely close race in this district made national headlines. Following a three-judge panel decision declaring the race a tie, the winner of the 2017 general election was determined by lot with David Yancey winning.{{cite web|last1=Ress|first1=Reema Amin, Dave|title=BREAKING: After 94th District recount, judges rule it's a tie|url=http://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-news/dp-nws-94th-district-judge-certification-20171220-story.html|website=dailypress.com|access-date=20 December 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Morrison|first1=Jim|last2=Nirappil|first2=Fenit|title=Court tosses out one-vote victory in recount that had briefly ended a Republican majority in Virginia|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/court-tosses-out-one-vote-victory-in-recount-that-had-briefly-ended-a-republican-majority-in-virginia/2017/12/20/ed979a70-e5b9-11e7-a65d-1ac0fd7f097e_story.html|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=20 December 2017|date=20 December 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Moomaw|first1=Graham |title=Del. David E. Yancey wins tiebreaker for key Virginia House of Delegates seat |url=http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/election/del-david-e-yancey-wins-tiebreaker-for-key-virginia-house/article_785a475f-3ad0-5ad7-b7d8-79c051d642a2.html|website=www.fredericksburg.com|access-date=4 January 2018|language=en}}
Recent election results
{{Election box begin no change
|title = Virginia's 94th House of Delegates district, 2013{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Virginia_House_of_Delegates_elections,_2013|title = Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2013}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Virginia Republican Party
| candidate = David Yancey (incumbent)
| votes = 11,001
| percentage = 51.2
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party of Virginia
| candidate = Robert Farinholt, Jr.
| votes = 10,458
| percentage = 48.6
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change
| party =
| candidate = Write-ins
| votes = 47
| percentage = 0.2
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 21,506
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Virginia Republican Party
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
|title = Virginia's 94th House of Delegates district, 2015{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Virginia_House_of_Delegates_elections,_2015|title = Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2015}}
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{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Virginia Republican Party
| candidate = David Yancey (incumbent)
| votes = 8,140
| percentage = 57.6
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party of Virginia
| candidate = Shelly Simonds
| votes = 6,002
| percentage = 42.4
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 14,142
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Virginia Republican Party
}}
{{Election box end}}
=2017 tie=
The district's election in 2017 was unusually close. Shelly Simonds challenged Yancey for the second time. Unofficial election night results showed Yancey with a 12-vote lead.Reema Amin. [http://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-news/dp-nws-election-94-yancey-simonds-20171106-story.html Yancey wins 94th District by 12 votes; Simonds to demand recount]. Daily Press. 8 Nov 2017 The race had statewide significance because if Yancey were to win, Republicans would hold a majority in the House of Delegates, but if Simonds were to win, the parties would each have 50 seats, which would have required a power-sharing agreement in the chamber. On November 20, the Virginia State Board of Elections certified Yancey as the winner by 10 votes. Simonds requested a recount. The recount gave Simonds the win by a single vote.Gregory S. Schneider. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/democrat-wins-va-house-seat-in-recount-by-single-vote-creating-50-50-tie-in-legislature/2017/12/19/3ff227ae-e43e-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html A single vote leads to a rare tie for control of the Virginia legislature]. Washington Post. 19 Dec. 2017 Following this, a three-judge panel decided that a potential overvote ballot should be counted for Yancey, thus tying the race. The potential overvote ballot shows a vote for both Simonds and Yancey with Simonds' crossed out, but also shows the vote for the governor crossed out.{{cite web|last1=Pascale|first1=Jordan|title=Copy of Official Ballot|url=https://pilotonline.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/67/267ac530-aeca-5205-bcdd-5ba7a971fe55/5a3ad167a0f63.image.jpg|website=The Virginian-Pilot|date=20 December 2017|access-date=27 December 2017}} The winner was set to be decided based on drawing a name out of a bowl on December 27.{{cite web|last1=Clark|first1=Dartunorro|title=Tied Virginia House race to be decided by drawing name out of a bowl|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/tied-virginia-house-race-be-decided-drawing-name-out-bowl-n831856|website=NBC News|access-date=27 December 2017|language=en}} Appeals by Simonds' campaign postponed the drawing until January 4, 2018. At that time, David Yancey's name was drawn by lot and he was declared the winner. The loser of such a drawing maintains the right to ask for another recount. On January 10, 2018, Simonds declared that she would not seek a second recount and that she was conceding the race to Yancey.{{cite web|last1=Bacon|first1=John|title=Democrat won't challenge tied Virginia race settled by lot|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/01/10/democrat-wont-challenge-tied-virginia-race-settled-lot/1020560001/|website=USA TODAY|access-date=January 10, 2018|language=en|date=January 10, 2018}}
{{Election box begin no change
|title = Virginia's 94th House of Delegates district, 2017{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Virginia_House_of_Delegates_elections,_2017|title = Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2017}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Virginia Republican Party
| candidate = David Yancey (incumbent)
| votes = 11,608
| percentage = 48.59
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party of Virginia
| candidate = Shelly Simonds
| votes = 11,608
| percentage = 48.59
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Libertarian Party (US)
| candidate = Michael Bartley
| votes = 675
| percentage = 2.83
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 23,891
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Virginia Republican Party
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
|title = Virginia's 94th House of Delegates district, 2019{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Virginia_House_of_Delegates_elections,_2019|title = Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2019}}
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{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party of Virginia
| candidate = Shelly Simonds
| votes = 11,563
| percentage = 57.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Virginia Republican Party
| candidate = David Yancey (incumbent)
| votes = 8,070
| percentage = 40.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Libertarian Party (US)
| candidate = Michael Bartley
| votes = 376
| percentage = 1.9
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change
|candidate =
|party = Write-ins
|votes = 25
|percentage = 0.1
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 20,034
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box gain with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party of Virginia
| loser = Virginia Republican Party
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
|title = Virginia's 94th House of Delegates district, 2021{{Cite web|title=2021 November General|url=https://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2021%20November%20General/Site/GeneralAssembly.html|access-date=2021-11-16|website=results.elections.virginia.gov}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Virginia Democratic Party
| candidate = Shelly Simonds (incumbent)
| votes =13725
| percentage =56.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| party = Virginia Republican Party
| candidate = Russ Harper
| votes =10734
| percentage =43.8
}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change
| votes =54
| percentage =0.2
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes =24513
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Virginia Democratic Party
}}
{{Election box end}}
List of delegates
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |
| valign=bottom
! Delegate ! Party ! Years ! Electoral history |
| align=left | Alan Diamonstein
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic | nowrap | January 12, 1983 – | Ran for Lieutenant Governor |
| align=left | Glenn Oder
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | nowrap | January 9, 2002 – | Resigned |
| align=left | David Yancey
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | Republican | nowrap | January 11, 2012 – | Lost reelection |
| align=left | Shelly Simonds
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic | nowrap | January 8, 2020 – | First elected in 2019 |