Democrats Biden, Warner, McEachin roll in Henrico

Democrat Joe Biden was headed for victory in Henrico County by a wide margin Wednesday afternoon, with the majority of the county’s votes tabulated.

Biden had received just shy of 110,000 votes to Republican President Donald Trump’s 61,280 – a lead of 63% to 35%, according to Virginia Department of Elections data. As many as 21,000 or more absentee ballots may still be outstanding, but absentee votes in Henrico were lopsided in favor of Democratic candidates along the ballot.

Statewide, Biden was leading Trump by a margin of 53% to 44% – large enough for all major prognosticators to claim it as a win for the Democrat.

In Henrico, Trump earned slightly more of the in-person Election Day vote (about 2,000 more votes among just more than 69,000 cast in the race) but Biden overwhelmed him in the county’s initial absentee returns, claiming 66,060 votes to Trump’s 20,032.

Elsewhere on the county ballot, incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Warner had outdistanced Republican challenger Daniel Gade by almost the exact same margin as Biden claimed over Trump. Warner earned just more than 64% of the vote to Gade’s 35%, with the outstanding absentee ballots still pending. Warner was leading by more than 12% statewide, enough for all major outlets to declare him the winner Tuesday night.

Democratic Congressman Donald McEachin of the Fourth District, which includes Eastern Henrico, breezed to victory in a heavily Democratic district, leading 60% to 40% Wednesday afternoon over Republican challenger Leon Benjamin, pending some absentee ballots. In Henrico, McEachin’s margin was even larger – 76% to 23%.

“I want to thank the good folks of Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District for their continued confidence in me and for their resounding support," McEachin said in a statement acknowledging his win. "I commit to continuing to serve their needs by working to address this frightening pandemic, supporting public health, rebuilding our economy, striving to eliminate systemic racism, addressing the urgent climate crisis and creating a country that truly offers opportunity, justice and equity for all."

Henrico voters also overwhelmingly supported the two state constitutional amendments on the ballot:

• one that would establish a 16-member redistricting committee (consisting of eight General Assembly members and eight citizens) to redraw congressional and state legislative districts (Henrico voters were 72% in favor, 28% opposed as of Wednesday afternoon);

• and another to eliminate the state and local tax on personal vehicles of veterans who have service-related permanent disabilities (it led in Henrico 85% to 14% Wednesday).

Both measures also were on track to pass easily statewide, the former by a 66% to 34% margin and the latter by a spread of 86% to 14%.