Republican Glenn Youngkin wins Virginia governor’s race in blow to Joe Biden
- Republican win in Virginia a major political turnabout in a state that had been trending increasingly blue
- Result is sure to alarm to Democrats already nervous about next year’s midterm elections
With all but a few precincts reporting, newcomer Glenn Youngkin led Democrat Terry McAuliffe with 51 per cent to McAuliffe’s 48.3 per cent, according to Associated Press. The results highlighted a stunning collapse by McAuliffe, a former governor and Democratic Party chairman who led in the polls throughout the summer in a state that Biden won by 10 percentage points over former president Donald Trump just last year.
A harbinger of the parties’ prospects in next year’s midterm elections, the race was initially expected to be a comfortable Democratic win but instead became a toss-up in the closing days of the campaign.
A private equity multimillionaire who has never run for office defeating a former popular Democratic governor will be seen as a disaster for Biden going into the all-important 2022 races that will determine who controls Congress.
“All right Virginia – we won this thing! How much fun!” Youngkin, who poured at least US$20 million of his own fortune into the race, told cheering fans after dancing onstage to Norman Greenbaum’s 1969 hit Spirit in the Sky.