Susanna Gibson, a Democrat, has conceded her race to represent Virginia’s 57th House of Delegates district. This race gained national attention after the release of a sex video. David Owens, a Republican businessman, defeated Gibson in the highly competitive district outside Richmond, according to Decision Desk HQ’s results.
In a statement released on Thursday, Gibson expressed her determination to continue fighting for important causes. “The fight to protect women’s bodily autonomy, to improve our children’s education, and to ensure better healthcare for all is too important. We can’t let one setback deter us,” she wrote. “I won’t give up. We can’t give up. I look forward to fighting alongside each and every one of you in the future.”
The controversy surrounding Gibson emerged in September when The Washington Post reported that she and her husband had livestreamed a video of themselves engaging in sexual acts on the website Chaturbate and requested monetary compensation from viewers. Despite the release of this footage, Gibson remained undeterred. In a statement at the time, she declared, “The surfacing of this footage won’t intimidate me, and it won’t silence me.” Gibson also accused her political opponents and their Republican allies of resorting to committing a sex crime in their efforts to attack her and her family, claiming that they would stop at nothing to silence women who speak up.
However, last month, the Virginia Republican Party distributed flyers with a warning label stating “explicit material” and advising against opening them if under the age of 18. The return address on the flyers indicated that they were “Paid for by the Republican Party of Virginia.” These flyers allegedly contained screenshots from videos involving Gibson.
On Wednesday, Owens declared victory in the race, with the final results showing him leading by nearly a thousand votes with all precincts reporting. “It’s my honor to be elected Delegate in HD-57 last night,” he announced on X, formerly Twitter. “I will begin work immediately to provide the unity, common-sense leadership, and responsive service that I promised.”
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