Last year Democrats won Virginia by 10 points in the presidential race but this year things were different for the Governor.
Congratulations to Glenn Youngkin: the new Republican governor of Virginia.
The leading lights of the Democratic Party -- including President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris and voting-rights activist Stacey Abrams -- all stepped up to bat in Virginia for Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign, and the result was a giant whiff.
None excited voters enough to drag McAuliffe across home plate.
Meanwhile, Republican Glenn Youngkin mostly campaigned on his own and ended up seizing the governor's mansion in Richmond.
At a campaign stop for McAuliffe last month, Biden urged Virginians to cast their votes for McAuliffe and insisted the former Democratic National Committee chairman had a proven track record from his time as governor of the state from 2014 until 2018.
"You don’t have to wonder what kind of governor Terry will be because you know what a great governor he was," Biden said. "It wasn’t just because of what he promised. It’s what he delivered."
Meanwhile in New Jersey the race is too close to call (.1% of the vote) but so far the Republican challenger is ahead.
The race for governor in New Jersey remained too close to call early Wednesday as Gov. Phil Murphy’s Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli clings on to a slight lead.
The two waged tense campaigns and Murphy presented himself as a solid progressive. Ciattarelli tried to paint Murphy as out of touch with the average voter and was critical of his leadership during the COVID-19 epidemic.
The campaigns ended their Election Night parties without either claiming victory, NJ.com reported. Both struck optimistic tones with their supporters.
And Republicans won most of the smaller elections too!
Photo: Getty Images North America
AMHERST, VIRGINIA - OCTOBER 28: Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin delivers remarks at a campaign event in the parking lot of Vito's Pizza Bar & Grill on October 28, 2021 in Amherst, Virginia. Youngkin is on a campaign bus tour across the state of Virginia as he contests Democratic candidate and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe in the state election that is less than a week away on November 2. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)