Trending Politics Conservative News and Commentary 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.
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