Incumbent Democratic senator Mark Warner won reelection to a third term against Republican nominee Daniel Gade.

Of Virginia's 20 most populous counties and independent cities, Warner won 18, losing only Hanover and Spotsylvania.

[2] In 2014, during the Tea Party movement, and declining voter turnout, Senator Warner won re-election by a margin of 0.8% against former chair of the Republican National Committee Ed Gillespie.

National party officials U.S. representatives State senators State delegates Individuals Virginia's 2020 Senate election was widely considered to be a safe hold for Mark Warner, as pre-election polling showed a massive lead for Warner.

Warner's razor-thin victory over Ed Gillespie six years earlier was widely considered to be a fluke owing to lowered turnout and complacency.