As the dust settles from the Virginia GOP's 1-2 performance* in Tuesday's statewide elections, one quiet winner sticks out: Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford).

Howell's Republican conference, which went into the election with an effective 68-32 supermajority - the largest Republican House majority in Virginia history - has come through an otherwise disappointing night with the barest of losses - a net of only one seat.

Perhaps most amazingly (and demoralizing for Democrats) is the sheer luck the Howell-led GOP had: According to Dave Wasserman with the Cook Political Report, an astounding eight delegate races had a unique distinction: being decided by less than four percentage points and being won by the Republicans anyway.

This is the first election for the chamber's top Democrat, House Minority Leader David J. Toscano (D-Albemarle). But while it's a disappointing one, it could have been worse. Toscano's predecessor as minority leader was Ward Armstrong (D-Henry). Armstrong, who once floated the idea of running statewide, was unceremoniously defeated by Republicans in the McDonnell-led GOP landslide of 2011. Toscano lives to fight another day.

*It currently appears Mark Obenshain (R) will squeeze out the tiniest of victories.