NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A recount could be coming in the race for delegate in the 94th district as Republican Del. David Yancey has just a 12-vote lead over Democratic challenger Shelly Simonds.
Reached by phone on Wednesday, Simonds said election officials are working to certify the results, as well as count provisional ballots. She says that could lead to changes in the results in the next five days. “I think 12-votes is not insurmountable for a Democrat,” Simonds said.
If necessary, Simonds said she will request a recount and already has a legal team in place. A losing candidate can request a recount if the difference between the winner and loser is not more than 1%, according to state law.
Counties and cities pay for the recount if the margin is half a percent of less, according to the State Board of Elections. In this case, Yancey leads by .05%.
Simonds, a school board member, attributed the close race to the issue of healthcare.
Gretchen Heal, a legislative assistant for Yancey, said they expected the race to be close, but are still expecting to win. The canvass is going smoothly and numbers are matching, Heal said.
