Glenn Youngkin of the Republican Party won the gubernatorial election in Virginia, defeating Former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, 3 November.
The election result, as projected by the Associated Press, display a dramatic reversal for a state that appeared to be very blue and is viewed as a serious judgement for President Biden and the Democratic Party.
Virginia's election, held every four years, takes place one year after the general elections and one year before the mid-term elections, and is therefore seen as a test for the incumbent national establishment.
New Jersey is a state that has similar importance.
Counting is still going on but the state is predicted to have a result favourable to the Democrats.
“From the farms of Shenandoah Valley to the docks and shipyards of Hampton Roads, to the coalfields of Southwest Virginia and the banks of the James River, to the memorials in Arlington National Cemetery, this is our Virginia to build together and we are going to go to work on day one,” Youngkin told his supporters after AP called the race in favour of the GOP, the Washington Post added.
Youngkin was one of the many Republicans who played around with former president Donald Trump's 2020 election conspiracy theories.
He refrained from directly acknowledging President Biden's legitimacy until he was assured of the Republican nomination for Virginia's race.
Trump however, jumped in to the take credit for Youngkin's win. His statement read, “I would like to thank my BASE for coming out in force and voting for Glenn Youngkin. Without you, he would not have been close to winning. The MAGA movement is bigger and stronger than ever before. Glenn will be a great governor. Thank you to the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia and most particularly, to our incredible MAGA voters!”
Boston, Buffalo, and Atlanta also have mayor contests happening on Tuesday whose votes are still being counted, CNN reported.
(With inputs from AP, Washington Post, and CNN.)
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