Democrat ousts Owen in 57th district

Democrat May Nivar beat Republican incumbent David Owen in the race for the 57th District seat in the House of Delegates.

“I’m deeply grateful for the trust voters have placed in me and for every volunteer and supporter who made this moment possible,” Nivar wrote on Facebook. 

Nivar received more than 55% of the vote over Owen, who has held the seat since 2024 after he beat Democrat Susanna Gibson in 2023 by a slim margin after Gibson’s sex tapes were released just months before the election.  

Nivar grew up in a low-income household with her family, which she credited to fueling her goals moving forward, she said to the Virginia Independent.

“This is very personal for me. I raised all three of my children here in Virginia,” Nivar said “I refuse to accept a society in which they have fewer rights than I did growing up.”

Nivar centered her campaign around access to education and healthcare, economic investment and securing votes on the premise of reproductive rights, according to her campaign website. 

“I am committed to defending a woman’s right to make personal healthcare decisions, including access to abortion, contraception, and IVF,” Nivar said on her campaign website. 

Nivar doubled Owen’s campaign funding, earning more than $2.4 million, compared to Owen’s $1.2 million, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. 

Nivar received a majority of her financial support from Democratic institutions. The VPAP reported the Democratic Caucus as the top donor contributing, $1.18 million, and the PAC for America's Future coming in second at $83,000. 

Contact news editor Ava Jenks at Ava.Humphries@richmond.edu

Contact writer Julian Francis at Julian.Francis@richmond.edu