Katie Dalton and Demostenes D. Komis

Democrats face GOP power in state legislature

RICHMOND-Although the Democratic Party suffered an unprecedented loss in Virginia's General Assembly elections last night, democratic leaders said they hope to collaborate with the Republican Party on key issues including health care reform, transportation, and public and higher education. The Democratic Party now holds 19 seats in the Senate and 47 seats in the House of Delegates. Last night's election results give the Republican Party a majority in both the Senate and the House, a lead which has not occurred since the Reconstruction period after the Civil War. This shift of power probably will bring more emphasis to conservative issues in the General Assembly, officials said. "I think some right-wing social issues will come to the forefront," Virginia Democrats Executive Director Craig Bieber said. Issues including affirmative action and abortion will be more heavily influenced by the Republican Party, said Patrick Corey, a member of the Virginia Partisans, a gay and lesbian democratic club.