'Free-wheeling' senate race featuring 'wild-card' ex-stripper may determine control of VA Legislature

31 October 2023

Next week's state legislative elections in Virginia will likely be extremely close, with partisan control already narrowly split between both chambers. But control of the state senate could come down to one specific race between four colorful candidates.

According to the Associated Press, the battle for Virginia's 27th state senate district is a hotly contested race with no clearly predictable outcome. Democrat Joel Griffin — whose relatively normal resume includes a stint in the US Marine Corps and several years as chairman of the Stafford County Economic Development Authority — is facing off against Republican House of Delegates member Tara Durant, whose rise to fame included a 911 call complaining about Black Lives Matter protesters surrounding her car. Far-right restauranteur Matt Strickland, who unsuccessfully challenged Durant in the Republican primary, is continuing to run as a write-in candidate.

But aside from Strickland, both major party nominees have to contend with an independent bid from Stafford County supervisor Monica Gary, an ex-stripper who has openly shared her personal abortion story on the campaign trail while advocating for the expansion of the rights of individuals to terminate their pregnancies.

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Gary told the AP that her experience as a stripper has translated well into the political realm.

"You would be surprised how similar the environments are," she said. "When I was in the club. I saw people chasing after money and power because they felt like they had to survive. And in politics, I see people doing it because they want to."

Abortion is one of the top issues in the race. Durant has gone on the record supporting Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin's proposed 15-week abortion ban, while both Griffin and Gary oppose it. Because Republicans have a narrow 48-46 majority in the Virginia House of Delegates, the Democratic-run senate – where Democrats have a 22-18 majority — is theoretically the only remaining obstacle preventing the proposed ban from becoming law. Gov. Youngkin will remain in office until 2025, as the commonwealth's constitution prevents governors from running for two consecutive terms.

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