Good morning from the Mercury.
“This is my last campaign, but this is not the end of the road. I start tomorrow on the next seven years, I start tomorrow in making sure this agenda becomes a reality.” - Mark Warner, celebrating his reelection to the U.S. Senate on Nov. 3, 2026.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner speaks to Virginians at his re-election celebration in Alexandria on Nov. 3, 2026. (Photo by Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury)
By Markus Schmidt
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., won a fourth term in Tuesday’s midterm elections, defeating Republican challenger Bert Mizusawa, a retired U.S. Army major general, 60% to 40%, with 3.1 million votes cast by 11 p.m., according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.
Voters also approved three constitutional amendments protecting reproductive rights, guaranteeing marriage equality and automatically restoring voting rights after incarceration.
Former U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria declared victory late Tuesday night in her 2nd District rematch against Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia Beach. The race was officially called in Luria’s favor at 11:47 p.m. by the Associated Press.
State Corporation Commission building in downtown Richmond. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)
By Charlotte Rene Woods
On Election Day, Virginians approved three amendments to enshrine reproductive, marriage and voting rights for former felons into the state’s constitution, the culmination of a multi-year journey through the state legislature galvanized by lawmakers, advocates and major federal shifts.
Over 61% of voters answered yes to Ballot Question 1 as of 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections. It asked if access to contraception, fertility treatment and abortions should be protected.
On Ballot Question 2, which asked if a defunct ban on same-sex marriage should be removed from the constitution, 56% of voters replied affirmatively.
The third ballot question asked whether the voting rights restoration process for formerly incarcerated people should become automatic or remain petition-based. 55% of voters said yes.
State Corporation Commission building in downtown Richmond. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)
By Shannon Heckt
In the final days before the Dominion Energy and NextEra merger case is set to begin at the State Corporation Commission, the companies are responding to a list of recommendations and conditions that staff members at the SCC and the Attorney General’s Office laid out as critical changes needed before commissioners approve the merger.
The all stock trade of the two companies is valued at $67 billion and would create the largest regulated utility in the country. In pre-filed testimony for the case, SCC staff suggested that the companies had not met their burden of ensuring “that adequate service to the public at just and reasonable rates will not be impaired or jeopardized by granting the prayer of the petition” as mandated by the Utility Transfers Act.
By Sofia Resnick
To prevent pregnancy after sex, U.S. teenage girls and young women are more likely to rely on unproven strategies such as prayer, exercise and jumping up and down than they are on evidence-based methods such as Plan B emergency contraception, according to a new study.
The study, published in The Journal of Sex Research, is based on a survey of 1,259 girls and women between the ages of 15-29. A quarter of the 633 respondents who reported having sexual intercourse and were not pregnant said they had used a post-coital method to prevent pregnancy.
Our daily roundup of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere.
"Roanoke coalition names Texas firm to study AI center plan." | Virginia Business
Thanks for reading Virginia Mercury. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.