Democrat Chris Hurst, right, defeated Republican incumbent Joseph Yost to win House District 12 on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017, in Blacksburg, Va. Hurst celebrates with a packed room of supporters at The Hyatt Place in Blacksburg. (Heather Rousseau/The Roanoke Times via AP)
Republished November 08, 2017 - 5:59 AM
Original Publication Date November 08, 2017 - 5:26 AM
BLACKSBURG, Va. - A former Virginia news anchor whose journalist girlfriend was fatally shot during a live broadcast in 2015 has defeated a Republican incumbent for a seat in the House of Delegates.
Chris Hurst beat Joseph Yost Tuesday in a high-profile race for the Blacksburg-area seat Tuesday.
Hurst was living with fellow journalist Alison Parker when she and a cameraman were killed by a former co-worker while reporting for WDBJ-TV.
After the shooting, Hurst became the public face of the grieving Roanoke station, bringing national attention and a large social media following. The Pennsylvania native quit his TV job and moved to Blacksburg to run in the 12th District.
The Democrat's campaign was backed by gun-control groups, but that wasn't his main campaign issue. Instead, he focused on education, health care and the environment.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017