Mark Obenshain, the Republican candidate for attorney general, conceded the race to Democrat Mark Herring Wednesday as the six-week recount drew to a close.
The concession from Obenshain, a state senator, gives the Democrats a clean statewide sweep in the November election — the first in over 40 years.
Obenshain’s loss follows losses by former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and his running mate, E.W. Jackson, who had run for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively.
The loss also removes a potentially major foil from Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe’s agenda, and hurts the Virginia GOP in the long term by removing a likely future gubernatorial candidate from a prominent position. Virginia has a tradition of attorneys general eventually running for governor.
The win by Herring, however, could cost Democrats control of the Virginia state Senate, as it is evenly divided and the Virginia Senate seat he will vacate means a special election in a highly competitive district, The Washington Post reports.