RICHMOND, Va.—Today, Democratic incumbents Alex Askew (HD-85) and Martha Mugler (HD-91) announced that they would seek recounts in their close House of Delegates races.
“The House Democratic Caucus fully supports Delegates Askew and Mugler in their recount efforts,” said Virginia House Democratic Caucus Executive Director Jaime Reimers. “We have long stated that every vote matters, and considering how many major errors there were in the number of ballots reported since election night, it is important that we take advantage of all available options to make sure every ballot is counted properly.”
Yesterday, the Virginia Board of Elections voted to certify the results, reporting a .44 percent margin in the 85th House race and a .33 percent margin in the 91st House race. Under Virginia law, campaigns are permitted to request a state-funded recount when election results fall within a margin of .5 percent.
“Voting is a privilege, and we must honor every person who came out and exercised one of our most fundamental rights by ensuring that each vote is properly accounted for,” said Del. Askew.
“In light of the errors and changes in reporting of ballots, we are requesting a recount in order to exercise all possible due diligence,” said Del. Mugler. “I trust the process and will rely on the methods put in place to uphold fair elections in the Commonwealth.”
Both delegates are incumbent freshmen who were first elected in 2019.