Virginia Politics Insider: How many flips?

Insight to the Virginia General Assembly from the RTD political team. How many flips? BOB BROWN Virginia will play a key part Tuesday night in the national drama over whether Republicans maintain control of the House of Representatives or Democrats gain 23 seats and take the chamber. In Virginia, most of the attention is focused on four seats now held by Republicans - in the 10th, 7th, 5th and 2nd Districts. Of course, the key ramification of Tuesday's outcome is which party will govern the House. But in Virginia there's another potential trickle-down effect. Tuesday's results in U.S. House races could boost or weed out potential candidates for statewide office in 2021. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, dropped his bid for the GOP nomination for governor in December 2016. During a recent congressional debate with his Democratic opponent, Vangie Williams, Wittman said he is focused on serving the people of the 1st District, but he did not rule out a future run for statewide office. "Predicting the future is one of those things that I am not very good at," Wittman said. "I focus on making sure that I'm getting the job done for you, today." By Andrew Cain Democrats want control of the U.S. House. Several Republicans' seats are in play Tuesday. Patrick Wilson reports that Democrats, led by six women nominees and assisted by the big money of Sen. Tim Kaine at the top of their party's ticket, hope to flip some Virginia congressional seats in Tuesday's election. Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, says: "I think we're going to have a good election night." Jack Wilson, new chairman of the Virginia GOP, says: "If Republicans get out and vote en masse the way they did for the president, we'll be OK in those districts." READ MORE After 2016 loss, Tim Kaine tangles with Trumpism again as he tries to dispatch Corey Stewart Graham Moomaw reports that with Democrats and Republicans battling over a handful of hotly contested U.S. House races, the match-up at the top of the ticket has felt like something of a sideshow. Republican Corey Stewart, who says he smells an upset, is running as a supporter of President Donald Trump in the only Southern state that Trump did not carry in 2016. Kaine notes that if he wins on Tuesday, Virginia Democrats will have won every statewide race from 2010-2019. No party has swept statewide races in Virginia for a decade since the Democrats did it in the 1940s. READ MORE Lawyers for man convicted of 1975 rape in Fairfax County argue for his exoneration Shirley Odell Scott Frank Green reports that a lawyer argued to the Virginia Supreme Court on Friday that DNA testing conclusively proves an Indiana man was wrongfully convicted of a 1975 rape in Fairfax County. The Virginia Attorney General's office disagrees, arguing that the results do not prove Winston L. Scott (above) innocent. If the justices grant him a writ of actual innocence, Scott would be the 13th — and possibly last — person to be cleared of wrongful convictions in a long-running DNA testing project.  READ MORE Virginia's Medicaid costs soar by $462.5 million, but not because of expansion BOB BROWN Michael Martz reports that Virginia's Medicaid costs have ballooned by more than $462 million. The increase primarily comes from an overly optimistic forecast for treating elderly and disabled Medicaid recipients in a new managed-care program. That program was designed to control the costs of treating the most expensive population in the $10 billion annual program. READ MORE Martz also reports that Virginia's enrollment and costs from Medicaid expansion are expected to rise, but not at state expense. READ MORE Bridget Balch reports that Virginia's Medicaid enrollment hotline fielded a record number of calls on Thursday, the first day that Virginians could enroll for Medicaid health insurance coverage under the state's expansion program. READ MORE IN OTHER NEWS • Graham Moomaw reports that on Election Day Virginia voters also will weigh in on tax exemptions for flood-prone properties and for military spouses. READ MORE • Patrick Wilson reports that John Warner, a Republican who represented Virginia in the U.S. Senate for 30 years, has endorsed Democratic congressional candidates Abigail Spanberger in the 7th District and Leslie Cockburn in the 5th District. READ MORE • Political columnist Jeff Schapiro says a late endorsement by Eric Cantor could help Rep. Dave Brat, but also could hurt him. READ MORE • Michael Martz reports that Dominion customers will bear the risks of a $300 million offshore wind pilot project. The State Corporation Commission puts the responsibility on state legislators. READ MORE • Mark Robinson looks at how Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney wants to pay for "the biggest economic development project in city history." READ MORE Shot of the week ALEXA WELCH EDLUND About 200 people gathered for a candlelight vigil at Chabad of Virginia Community Synagogue in Henrico County on Sunday, to mourn those killed in a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Quote of the week "We've got to own this and fix it." - Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne on news that the costs of Virginia's existing Medicaid program are soaring by $462.5 million.