As 1990s R&B music blared through the speakers, Nicole Cole took a break from dancing Tuesday night to discuss her historic victory in the Virginia House District 66 race.
Cole defeated 35-year incumbent Del. Bobby Orrock (R-Woodford) for the House of Delegates seat that covers parts of Caroline and Spotsylvania counties. Cole recorded 18,503 votes (52%) to Orrock’s 16,939 (47%).
“I am elated,” Cole said in a phone interview. “I am so happy for our community that they now have representation that will bring the resources to them.”
Cole’s victory is part of a big night for Democrats in the Commonwealth, as the party swept the governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general races. The Democrats picked up 13 seats in the House of Delegates, according to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).
While many people believed Cole faced an uphill battle in her quest to knock off Orrock, a Caroline native and longtime educator in Spotsylvania, Cole said she never doubted the outcome.
The Spotsylvania School Board representative for the Battlefield District won that seat over Larry DiBella by 242 votes in 2021. Her campaign for the House raised more than $2 million, compared to $459,849 for Orrock, according to VPAP.
Cole said she was not deterred by the district being considered “lean Republican.”
“I don’t know if you’ve gotten to know me very well, but I always thought it was possible,” Cole said. “I wouldn’t have gotten into it if I didn’t know it was possible because I knew that I would do the work to make it happen. For 35 years, this district went without real representation, and I was one of the main ones frustrated because of it.
“But tonight, voters stood up for new leadership that puts people first — stronger public schools, affordable healthcare and protecting women’s rights. This victory belongs to our community, the voters, the volunteers, the neighbors, who made history tonight by electing me to represent them.”
Orrock did not return phone calls and text messages seeking comment. The 69-year-old was first elected in 1989 and inaugurated in 1990. This was his 18th general election.
Cole said redistricting in recent years, “got rid of some of the gerrymandering” and made it more feasible for a Democrat to win the district. She said the diverse population in the district wasn’t represented well by Orrock.
“From the start, I kept trying to tell people, ‘You’ve got to stop saying this is a lean Republican district,’ because it’s not,” Cole said. “It is a lean Dem district … We didn’t know what party [voters were] but I knew that Bobby Orrock was not representing the majority of this district anymore. This district does not lean Republican anymore. Let’s stop saying that. It leans Democrat and it leans for the community.”
It’s also believed that history was made in Stafford County, which for the first time will be represented entirely in the House by Black politicos.
Incumbent Dels. Joshua Cole and Candi Mundon King, who each represent part of the county, will be joined in Richmond by Democratic Party mate and Del.-elect Stacey Carroll.
Carroll, a veteran and certified public accountant, defeated Del. Paul Milde in the 64th District. She collected 18,833 votes to Milde’s 16,806.
Carroll said that she and other Democrats went to county residents where they were — such as churches, commuter lots and grocery stores — and talked to them about issues that were affecting their day-to-day lives.
“Honestly, this was about teamwork,” she said. “We got together as one big team and connected with the voters here in this district.”
Carroll also withstood a lawsuit by three Stafford residents that claimed she didn’t actually live in the 64th District.
Joshua Cole, whose 65th District also includes Fredericksburg and part of Spotsylvania, turned back a challenge from Republican Sean Steinway.
The incumbent claimed 20,009 votes to Steinway’s 14,179 votes.
Joshua Cole hosted a Democratic watch party at the Holiday Inn Fredericksburg Conference Center with Carroll, and at one point in the night, triumphantly marched into the ballroom holding up clasped hands with his soon-to-be colleague.
Later in the evening, he said he was particularly excited about the wins of Carroll and Nicole Cole.
“I’m blown away,” Joshua Cole said. “I’m honored, and I’m excited that the people of the 65th District put their trust in me again. But I think I’m even more elated and excited that I have some partners —regional partners — to go down to Richmond so that we can continue to fight for the Fredericksburg region as a whole.”
Mundon King, whose 23rd District also includes part of Prince William County, trounced GOP hopeful James Tully. She logged 17,753 votes to his 5,567.
In another Fredericksburg-area race, Republican Del. Phillip Scott won re-election in the 63rd District, which includes part of Spotsylvania. Scott garnered 21,214 votes to 16,533 votes for Democrat Forrest Miller.
Del. Hillary Pugh Kent also won re-election in the 67th District, which includes King George County and part of Caroline.
The Republican collected 24,185 votes in a three-way contest. Democrat Mario Haggerty came in second with 7,571 votes, and independent Richard Kenski finished with 764 votes.
