Newly elected Del. Jeff Bourne
Democrat Jeff Bourne earned 90 percent of ballots cast in Tuesday’s 71st District House of Delegates special election en route to a landslide victory.
The special election, held to fill the seat vacated by now-Sen. Jennifer McClellan in January, drew three candidates: Bourne, Libertarian John Barclay and independent Regie Ford. Less than 7 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the contest, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
“I look forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with so many folks in this room to stand up and stand against hatred and division and prejudice,” Bourne said in his victory speech posted on Facebook. “ … We are making decisions based on politics, not on sound policy. Nobody wins when that happens.”
Bourne will now represent the district comprising downtown Richmond, North Side, part of Church Hill and Fulton Hill, as well as part of Henrico County. The win means he must vacate his North Side 3rd District seat on the Richmond School Board, which he has held since 2013 and to which he recently won reelection.
Before Bourne is formally sworn into the House, the election results must be certified. He’ll join the fray as the Virginia General Assembly winds down its 2017 session; Sine Die is Feb. 25.
