Virginia voters gave Democrats a leadership trifecta on Nov. 5, 2019, flipping both chambers of the legislature from Republican to Democrat in a state led by Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam. Credit: Katherine Frey/Washington Post via Getty Images Democrats seized control of the Virginia legislature in this week’s election, likely smoothing a path toward full participation in a regional carbon-trading market and giving the state a chance to lead the south on climate policy. In a light, off-year election nationally, Virginia’s legislative races stood out. Both the Virginia House and Senate flipped from Republican control to Democrat. That new Democratic legislature will now be pressed to back an aggressive carbon reduction goal—100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050—and environmental advocates said they expect the new majority might be willing to go along. “The legislature now has a mandate to act on climate change and clean energy,” said Lee Francis, deputy director […]