Kannan Srinivasan (D) and Tumay Harding (R) are running in the special election for District 32 of the Virginia Senate on January 7, 2025. Incumbent Suhas Subramanyam (D) is resigning to represent Virginia’s 10th Congressional District.
The Downballot’s David Nir and Jeff Singer wrote before the election, “Given Democrats’ slender 21-19 edge in the Senate, the stakes are exceptionally high. An upset for Republicans would force a tie in the chamber and allow Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to break ties for her party. And barring any further special elections, January’s contest will determine who holds the majority until 2027, when the Senate next goes before voters.”
Srinivasan is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 26. On his website, Srinivasan says he is a “problem solver who delivers meaningful results for Loudoun families…he’s running…so we can protect the gains we’ve made and continue moving Virginia forward.” Srinivasan has campaigned on improving the economy, saying, “I’m a CPA… [The] economy is very close to what I do. I work very hard to ensure people who need help get the help.” He is also campaigning on abortion access and says, “Virginia is the last, the only state in the South where women don’t have to worry about [the legality of abortion]. And I am very, very committed to keeping it that way.”
Harding is a business owner and teacher. Harding says, “The current majority has failed our District and our Commonwealth…this could change if we win this election and give Governor Youngkin a new majority in the Senate.” Harding is running on eliminating the state’s car tax and says, “eliminating the car tax will put money back into the pockets of Loudouners so that they can afford the soccer teams, so that they can afford their rent and groceries and housing.” Harding has also focused on education, saying, “Time and time again, parents have been left in the dark in Loudoun County Public Schools…I will work to pass a Parent’s Bill of Rights, protecting your right to be involved in your children’s education and your right to be informed of all matters regarding your children.”
The 32nd District has typically voted for Democratic candidates in previous elections. In 2023, Subramanyam defeated Gregory Moulthrop (R) 60.5% to 39.0%. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Kamala Harris (D) won the district 58.8% to 37.2% Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Even though the district has largely voted for Democratic candidates, Radford University professor Chapman Rackaway said that special elections can be unpredictable and “you may see very, very low turnout involved, and you can also see incredibly high turnout.” Virginia Republican Party Rich Anderson says the party will try to win this district saying “We are dead serious about flipping these seats…If you don’t try, you have a guaranteed bad outcome.” The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee has announced plans to spend $100,000 on the race and chair Heather Williams says, “The stakes couldn’t be higher as we approach the first special elections of 2025. We must preserve our majorities to lead the upcoming legislative agenda and position Democrats for success heading into November’s elections.”
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Editor’s note: A link to The Downballot’s analysis of the Virginia special election was added on January 7, 2025