Republicans gain at least 3 seats but lose influential delegate

  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Republicans have gained at least three
seats to strengthen their grip on the House of Delegates.
   

However, they lost an influential delegate who has been
embroiled in a scandal. Republican Delegate Phil Hamilton of
Newport News lost his re-election bid to Robin Abbott. Hamilton, a
senior member of the House Appropriations Committee is the subject
of investigations by a House ethics panel and a federal grand jury
into allegations that he arranged a $40,000-a-year job for himself
at Old Dominion University as he steered state money to the school.
   

Republicans also lost an open seat formerly held by state GOP
chairman Jeff Frederick.
   

But those GOP losses were more than offset by victories over
five Democratic incumbents, giving Republicans a working majority
of at least nine seats in the 100-member House. James Moorefield
beat Dan Bowling in southwestern Virginia, and Chris Stolle ousted
Joseph Bouchard in Virginia Beach. In Loudoun county, Thomas
Greason defeated David Poisson.
   

In Fairfax County, James LeMunyon beat Chuck Caputo and Richard
Anderson defeated Paul Nichols.
Three races remained undecided.