Adams wins third term in 68th House district, edging Earley

Del. Dawn Adams claimed victory in the 68th District race Tuesday night over Republican challenger Mark Earley, Jr.

The mostly low-key contest led to a victory for Adams, who captured 53.51% of the reported votes with most of her support coming from Richmond, where she won 60.98% of the reported votes, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.

Adams campaigned on healthcare reform, offering a perspective with her expertise as a nurse.

“I cannot put into words just how thankful, how grateful, how humbled I am by all of your actions and your support,” Adams wrote on Twitter at 10:50 p.m. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Earley’s first campaign fell short despite his connection to Virginia politics — his father is former Attorney General Mark Earley, Sr. Although he won the majority of votes in Chesterfield and Henrico counties, the Richmond precincts delivered the race to Adams.

Adams dominated the scene by winning the majority of the mail-in and in-person early votes in Richmond and Henrico County, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

The 68th District often tells a tale of two halves on Election Day. Stretching from the urban streets surrounding the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond to the peripheral suburban cul du sacs of Chesterfield County, the district is a bastion of Virginia’s political competitiveness.

In 2017, the last time the district was up for grabs, Adams won the election by just 336 votes, according to VPAP. Adams found victory in the row houses and colorful front porches on the streets of Floyd, Grove, Hanover and Patterson.

As the results trickled in, the map began to fill out along familiar lines.

Adams previously said that her third term would focus on fixing the healthcare disparities made more apparent by COVID-19.

Adams’ victory is one of the 28 reported House seats that have remained blue, according to VPAP.

Neither candidate responded to requests for comment.