GOP Candidate Notches Landslide Special Election Win Forward Of Democrat-Led Redistricting Vote
Republican candidate Andrew Rice cruised to victory in the special election for Virginia House of Delegates District 98, ultimately defeating Democrat Cheryl Smith by a wide margin of 25 percentage points. The result constitutes a significant over-performance when compared with President Donald Trump’s margin of victory in the 2024 presidential election and comes ahead of a key redistricting referendum that could draw out three U.S. House districts currently controlled by the GOP.
Official results showed Rice receiving 7,316 votes, or 62.5 percent, compared to Democrat candidate Cheryl Smith’s 4,392 votes, or 37.5 percent
The election filled the vacancy left by the death of longtime Republican incumbent Delegate Barry Knight earlier this year. Knight had represented the district, which covers parts of southern Virginia Beach including rural communities such as Pungo, for many years and won re-election in 2023 with nearly 90 percent of the vote and in 2025 with roughly 57 percent against Smith.
Rice, a deputy commonwealth’s attorney in Virginia Beach and a lifelong district resident, defeated five other Republicans in a February 2026 firehouse primary to secure the nomination.
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Republicans just scored a +14 point OVER PERFORMANCE in the Virginia House of Delegates District 98 Special Election
Andrew Rice (R) defeats Cheryl Smith (D) by 28+ points, in the Trump+14 district
Apply liberals’ logic, this means a RED TSUNAMI is coming 😅🔥 pic.twitter.com/OZImi7xLNe
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 18, 2026
Rice’s victory was widely expected due to the district’s strong Republican lean. In the 2024 presidential election, the area supported President Trump by roughly 15 percentage points, which makes Rice’s special election victory a sizable over-performance.
His 62.5 percent share represented roughly a 6-percentage-point improvement over Trump’s vote share, while his 25-point margin of victory translated to an over-performance of about 10 to 11 points relative to Trump’s margin in the district.
The result comes ahead of an upcoming statewide referendum scheduled for April 21. Voters will decide on a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the Virginia General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional district maps before the 2030 census, with the maps reverting to the standard redistricting process afterward.
The measure, which was advanced by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly and signed by Governor Abigail Spanberger, would have a significant impact on the 2026 midterm elections if enacted. The proposed maps would shift the state’s balance from six Democrat-controlled seats and five Republican to a 10-1 split in favor of Democrats.
Rice publicly opposed the amendment during his campaign and encouraged a “no” vote, while Smith supported it. Early voting for the referendum began on March 6, 2026.
Analysts have noted that the decisive Republican performance in District 98, combined with patterns of higher early voting participation in Republican-leaning congressional districts for the referendum, may signal voter preferences or mobilization trends that could affect the referendum.
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