In the first election of 2001, held on January 9, pro-life Republican John J. Welch easily defeated his Democratic opponent A. P. Holmes by garnering more than 61% of the votes in the 21st Delegate district in Virginia Beach. This was the last in a series of special elections necessitated by vacancies resulting from the November 2000 election. Mr. Welch will fill the seat in the House of Delegates that was vacated by Frank Wagner when he won a place in the Virginia State Senate in the special election held on Dec. 19.

This election was just in time for the opening of the Virginia General Assembly on January 10.

Published in VSHL Lifesaver, April 2001