Republicans won the first of two special elections that took place on Tuesday when state Del. Rob Wittman (R) defeated Iraq War veteran Philip Forgit (D) in the race to replace late Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R) in Virginia’s 1st district. With 97 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Wittman led with 63 percent of the vote. Forgit claimed 35 percent of the vote and Independent Lucky Narain had 2 percent.

Voter turnout was less than 15 percent for the unusually short special election in which the candidates had just a month to campaign after being selected as their parties’ nominees. The result was not a surprise in this conservative stronghold, especially after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee decided against spending heavily on the race.

— John McArdle