These Are The Main Latino Gains Following Virginia's Elections This Week

Latinos continued to make gains in Virginia following this week's elections, especially in areas where they represent a larger proportion of the population, like the Washington metropolitan area.

Here are some of them:

Colombian-American Andres Jimenez will be the first Latino on the Fairfax Board of Supervisors for the Mason District, which includes the diverse community of Culmore, home to a large majority of immigrants, especially of Salvadoran origin.

In Arlington County, Jose Quiroz will be the first Hispanic sheriff in the entire state of Virginia, which has 123 positions of the kind.

In Fairfax County, Chris Falcón will be the first Hispanic to serve as Clerk of the Court. Fairfax has traditionally been a county with a large presence of Central American, Bolivian and Peruvian immigrants.

Meanwhile, Democrat Michelle Maldonado was re-elected to the state's House of Delegates for the 20th Congressional District, which includes the city of Manassas, Manassas Park, and parts of Prince William County, a strong enclave of the Latino community in Virginia with 45% of the total population.

Overall, the result was a triumph for the Democrats, who gained control of the state legislature by retaining majorities in the Senate and wresting control of the House of Delegates from the Republicans.

It is a major blow to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who has even been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in the next election. Youngkin said he was disappointed by the election results, but pledged to work with the party's new legislative majority on bipartisan issues such as improving the mental health care system and boosting the state's economic development.

Youngkin told a news conference from Richmond that the results underscore Virginia's history of alternating Democratic and Republican control.

"Now, our Republican caucus will once again assume the role of loyal opposition, working with Governor Youngkin to hold the line against the worst left-wing impulses of the incoming Democratic majority and ensure that common sense ideas are not forgotten." House Speaker Todd Gilbert said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in the Democratic camp, the satisfaction was visible.

"Governor Youngkin and Virginia Republicans did everything they could to take total control of state government, but the people of the Commonwealth rejected them," said Susan Swecker, chair of the Virginia Democratic Party, in a statement.