TV stations report winner! Republican Youngkin wins Virginia gubernatorial election! Youngkin calls election win ‘defining moment’ and announces ‘change’ in Virginia.
Republican Glenn Youngkin has won the gubernatorial election in the US state of Virginia, according to projections by US television networks. Youngkin narrowly beat rival Terry McAuliffe of the Democratic Party by 2.7 percentage points in Tuesday’s election, according to the report. The gubernatorial election was seen as a mood test for US President Joe Biden and his Democrats.
McAuliffe’s defeat in previously Democratic-ruled Virginia is a major setback for Democrats and bodes ill for the midterm elections for the US Congress next November. The 64-year-old McAuliffe had long been clearly ahead of Youngkin in polls. In recent weeks, his lead in the polls then melted more and more.
“We won this thing,” Youngkin said during a speech to his supporters on election night. He called his victory a “defining moment” for Virginia. The state will chart a new course under his leadership, he said. “And we will begin that change on day one.” For the past eight years, Democrats had provided the governor in Virginia.
McAuliffe had tried during the campaign to put his 54-year-old rival in line with former President Donald Trump, who is unpopular with many moderate conservatives and finished 10 points behind Biden in Virginia’s presidential election a year ago. On the campaign trail, however, Youngkin avoided getting too close to Trump, focusing on criticism of mandatory masks and teaching about racism in schools – two issues that can be used to mobilize the conservative base.
Trump did not travel to Virginia to campaign. In contrast, Democrats relied on prominent supporters for McAuliffe: Not only did Biden appear with the gubernatorial candidate, but so did former President Barack Obama. Many voters, a year after Biden’s victory in the Nov. 3, 2020, presidential election, are disappointed in the president, whose reform agenda is making little headway in the face of opposition in Congress.
Democrats have similar fears heading into the congressional midterm elections known as midterms a year from now. Opposition Republicans could then recapture majorities in the House and Senate, decisively weakening Biden.
A gubernatorial election was also held Tuesday in the state of New Jersey. There, Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy had a good chance of re-election. In addition, the metropolis of New York elected a new mayor. The Democratic candidate, African-American and former police officer Eric Adams, prevailed there as expected against Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. New York has been a Democratic stronghold for years.
