RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Democrats nearly wiped out Republicans’ overwhelming majority in the Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday, with a handful of races that will decide control of the body remaining too close to call. Democrats picked up at least 13 of the 17 seats they would need to retake the chamber for the first time in two decades. “It really is an unprecedented result we’re seeing,” House Democratic Caucus Leader David Toscano said. The last time Democrats picked up more than five seats was 1975, according to Toscano. This election season, where all 100 seats were up for grabs, saw Democrats make their most energetic push in years to gain ground against Republicans. Sixty of the seats were contested by candidates of both major parties, more than in any year for at least two decades. The House gains were part of a stellar night for Democrats, who swept all three statewide races. Democrat Ralph Northam beat Republican Ed Gillespie in the governor’s race by nearly 9 points.
