Dems picked up GOP State Senate Seat in Virginia yesterday in Special Election

[WI_DEM]

Of course the media won't think this is a big deal:

Defying recent voting trends that saw several Northern Virginia Republicans win big in November, Del. David W. Marsden (D-Fairfax) narrowly won a special election Tuesday night to represent a broad swath of southwestern Fairfax County in the Virginia Senate.

Marsden, 61, a two-term delegate from Burke who switched political parties earlier this decade while serving as the head of the state Department of Juvenile Justice under both Republican and Democratic governors, won the 37th state Senate seat vacated by Attorney General-elect Kenneth T. Cuccinelli (R) by rallying a voter base reeling from big losses in November's statewide and House races.

Marsden's victory over Republican Stephen M. "Steve" Hunt, a former Fairfax County School Board member, also expands the control of Virginia Democrats in the Senate chamber and makes compromise less likely heading into redistricting next year. In the only other senate race, in eastern Virginia Beach, Republican Jeff L. McWaters easily defeated Democrat William L. "Bill" Fleming in the 8th state Senate District to retain that seat for his party.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011203717.htm