Republicans took control of theVirginiaAssembly (giving them control over both houses of the Legislature), won a special election in a GOP open seat in the Washington State House (to return the body to deadlock), and won the Erie County (New York) executive's race.
Last week, however, McDonnell finally brokered a deal with theVirginia General Assembly to finance a sharp increase in new transportation spending with new taxes.
Republicans have been cleaning up over the past decade, but the pendulum has clearly swung and there's a chance the Democrat will take at least one house of theVirginia General Assembly.
However, that proposal and other gun control measures have failed repeatedly in historically gun-friendly Virginia, where Republicans control the General Assembly.