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Youngkin declared in a victory speech that Wednesday morning that "together we will change the course of this commonwealth"
Both states saw Republican candidates expand on their blowout Republican margins within rural counties. They also weakened the Democratic edge in densely populated areas. On Wednesday morning, Murphy was leading Ciattarelli by about a tenth percent of a percentage point. This is roughly 1,400 votes. However, Murphy still has approximately 88 percent of the expected votes in. There are still votes outstanding in certain heavily Democratic areas.
These results will cause a shockwave across the country, not just in Virginia and New Jersey. Democrats should be concerned about the big swing that Youngkin won, as they attempt to maintain slim majorities in the House and Senate during the midterms. Next year, seven states that President Joe Biden won with smaller margins than Virginia will be represented in the governor's race.
Youngkin's victory speech was a reflection of the urgency Republicans feel in regaining political power. He said, "There is no time for waste." "Our children can't wait. We work in real time, not government. We're going to start working from day one."
Voters line up to register to vote at Midlothian High School on Tuesday. Voters will decide between Republican Glenn Youngkin and Terry McAuliffe for Governor. | Steve Helber/AP Photo
McAuliffe made the concession in a statement on Wednesday morning at 9:45 a.m. He said that while we lost last night, "I am proud that this campaign was dedicated to fighting for the values I so strongly believe in", congratulating Youngkin, and thanking his family.
This was McAuliffe's first comment since he appeared on the stage at his election-night party just before 10:30 p.m. He gave a four-minute speech thanksgiving supporters. Most major media outlets called the race approximately two hours after McAuliffe's speech.
Republicans also control the race for the other statewide offices. Three networks project Winsome Sears, a former state legislator, as the winner for lieutenant- governor. Sears will be the first Black woman to hold statewide office in commonwealth.
State Del. On Wednesday morning, Jason Miyares led Mark Herring, the Democratic state attorney general, by about one point. However that race could still be in recount territory.
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Republicans would flip at least six state House seats. This would allow them to regain control of that lower chamber. The narrow 21-19 Democratic majority in the state Senate is still held by Democrats. Their seats were not up for election this year.
Record turnout was also attained across the state for this race. This year, more than 3.2 million Virginians voted. It would be the highest turnout for a Virginia gubernatorial race and just short of the 2018 midterm turnout.
Youngkin is steadily ahead of McAuliffe, in both public and private polling, in the lead-up to Tuesday's Virginia election, which Biden won by ten points last year. This is despite the state's overall blue tint, but it's in keeping with decades of political history in which the party winning the White House in the previous election almost always loses in the next gubernatorial election.
Although it is an election for state office, it is seen as a crucial bellwether halfway between Biden's 2020 win and the critical midterm elections next November. National polls have shown a marked drop in support for the president. His party has slim majorities in Congress, and is currently defending governorships across swing states in 2022.
Youngkin, who was a first-time candidate wealthy and a former executive in private equity, became the first Republican to win statewide elections since 2009 when Bob McDonnell won a dominant 17-point victory.
Murphy, the governor of New Jersey, was considered a safer choice than Virginia, but faced a wider backlash than expected. Two Ohio House districts elected new members to Congress to replace the incumbents who resigned earlier in the year. Democrats also participated in a South Florida congressional primary. A number of other cities, including New York City, will also elect new mayors Tuesday. The Associated Press predicted that Eric Adams, a Democrat, won the New York City mayoral race.
McAuliffe tried relentlessly to tie his Republican opponent in Virginia to Donald Trump, who supported Youngkin.
McAuliffe said McAuliffe to a Richmond crowd on Monday that he was running against Donald Trump in sweater vests or khakis. This was his second-to last stop of the campaign.
Trump supported Youngkin even though he did endorse him, but he didn't physically appear in the state to support Youngkin. The candidate attempted to tread a delicate line between energizing and keeping the most loyal supporters of the former president while also not scaring the many suburbanites who fled the party during Trump's time in office.
Trump was only able to appear briefly in the state during a tele-rally that Youngkin called on Monday evening. Youngkin didn't attend because it was part of a heads-I win, tails-you lose strategy for Trump after hinting at an in-person visit.
Trump declared victory in the state for Youngkin and himself. My BASE is a great organization that voted for Glenn Youngkin. This statement was made hours before the winner was announced by media outlets. He would have never come close to winning without you.
Youngkin has, however, avoided Trump's trail. On Monday, at one of his last rallies, Youngkin was absent from Trump's trail. He was located at the airport near the border of Richmond, Virginia, and Chesterfield County, which is an ancestrally Republican region that Biden carried in 2020. Former President George W. Bush, with his famous line about the soft bigotry and low expectations, received a shoutout during a lengthy riff on education. Trump, however, went unmentioned.
Youngkins' campaign has been centered on Youngkins' push for education and a focus on crime and the economy. Youngkins has positioned himself as a strong opponent to critical race theory, a legal theory that has been used to justify the teaching of race in schools. He pledged to improve academic standards and support more charter schools throughout the state.
Youngkin stated in a Monday campaign speech that Virginians are resisting the culture that wants us all to give up hope and tells our children to accept low standards. Virginans have a chance to resist the left-liberal progressive agenda and take back their commonwealth.
At the Youngkin election night celebration, supporters were still waving Parents for Youngkin signs. It started out as a casual gathering of campaign staffers from across the state. The event grew into a celebration.
According to the Virginia Public Access Project data, just under 1.2 million voters cast their ballots by mail or early before the election. This is a significant increase over the 196,000 who did it in 2017, which was the last gubernatorial race under the old electoral rules. It pales in comparison with the 2.8 million voters who voted by mail or early during the 2020 election.
Zach Montellaro reported in McLean, Va. Brittany Gibson was reporting from Chantilly Va.
