What Virginia's special elections tell us about the bigger ballot box battles to come in 2025, 2026

Democrats held onto their narrow majorities in Virginia's legislature as they won two of three special elections on Tuesday in the first ballot box showdowns of 2025.

The closely-watched contests were seen by the political world as the first gauge of the mood of voters since President-elect Trump's convincing victory in November, in elections that also saw Republicans win control of the U.S. Senate and hold their fragile House majority.

They're also viewed as an early barometer for...