Republican Danny Diggs has won a squeaker of a race for the Peninsula’s 24th Senate District.

By midnight on Election Night, just 51 votes separated the former York-Poquoson sheriff and his opponent, incumbent Democratic Sen. Monty Mason.

But the tally of a few thousand absentee votes overnight has given Diggs more than a 1,000-vote lead over Mason by Wednesday morning, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.

“Starting next year, there will be a new sheriff in town,” Diggs wrote in a victory message Wednesday morning.

The 24th Senate District was predicted to be one of the closest races of the year after redistricting changed its makeup substantially. It ultimately proved to be the absolute tightest on the Senate side.

“We have known that this was going to be a tight race since they drew the district, so we planned accordingly,” Mason said on Tuesday, before votes started to roll in.

Mason launched an intensive campaign to keep his seat — something he hadn’t needed to do in previous elections because of how consistently Democratic his old district was. 

The newly-drawn district shed Democratic strongholds in Newport News and picked up Republican-heavy York County and Poquoson.

Despite door knocking through Election Day and bringing nationally-known Democrats to Williamsburg to stump for him, Mason fell short by about 1.5%.

That’s outside of the 1% margin that would allow a recount.

Mason held out hope, but eventually conceeded to Diggs late Wednesday afternoon. 

"We have our differences, but I believe in my heart that he wants what is best for his community," Mason wrote in a concession statement.

Diggs’ win will not change the balance of power. Democrats cemented a 21-seat majority in the Senate Tuesday night and took back control of the House of Delegates - a major blow to Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his agenda.

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