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GOP Doesn't Relinquish Any House Seats In Virginia

By: Matt Laslo // November 7, 2012
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Not a single House seat in Virginia changed hands last evening. In 2010, Republicans were able to oust three House Democrats in the commonwealth. This year, even though Democrats swept the hotly contested presidential and Senate contests in Virginia, the state party wasn't able to take over a single GOP House seat.

That's part of the reason the House of Representatives will remain in Republican hands in the next Congress, which means Washington will remain split for at least another two years. Richard Valenzuela is doubbtful that anything can get done in Washington with another two years of divided government.

"I wish it wouldn't work that way. I wish everybody could work together," Valenzuela said. "But it seems like you have to have either a fully Republican or a fully Democratic establishment."

The first test for the two parties comes soon when Congress reconvenes for its lame duck session. In that special session, lawmakers will need to address the so-called fiscal cliff which is a mixture of tax hikes and deep spending cuts slated to take effect in January.

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