Virginia Goes Red: Americans Have Given Their Verdict

Republicans have successfully flipped the Virginia governor seat as Glenn Youngkin emerged victorious, casting a defeat to former Democrat Governor Terry McAuliffe in a race considered to be the test for Biden’s presidency until now.

Meanwhile, despite losing New Jersey by almost 16 percentage points in 2020, Republicans have managed to make an impressive comeback in the state. They’re defying all the pundits who predicted an easy run for Democrats.

GOP hammered Democrats in 2021 gubernatorial races

Glenn Youngkin, the Republican candidate, won 50.9% votes, compared to Democrat candidate Terry McAuliffe, who managed to get 48.4% votes.

With this, a businessman turned politician Youngkin is set to become the 74th governor of Virginia after getting inaugurated on January 15, 2022. It can be noted back in 2020, Biden won Virginia by nearly ten percentage points.

However, the pre-election numbers suggested Republicans would hit back, mainly because of the skyrocketing inflation in the country. This likewise affects the state of Virginia, coupled with the declining economic indicators, a string of botched plans, and troubling policies under the Biden administration.

Not only this, but the hesitancy of Senator Joe Manchin (who belongs to West Virginia) in voting for Biden’s economic agenda is also said to alienate voters of the Democrat Party.

While the Democrat contender, Terry McAuliffe, has conceded the election by congratulating the governor-elect and wishing him the best of luck, Youngkin, on the other hand, vowed to serve the people of Virginia. 

McAuliffe already served a term as a governor of Virginia back in 2014 to 2018 and was seeking a second term.  

Republicans flipped Virginia in its entirety

Glenn Youngkin is the first Republican to win a Virginia gubernatorial election in more than a decade. Despite being a political newcomer, his campaign strategy of hitting the bullseye paid off.

By addressing issues of rising crime, a poor economy, gender and race topics, abortion, and voting rights, Youngkin’s proven himself to be effective, compared to the political veteran McAuliffe.

Before the historic elections, Biden claimed on earlier Tuesday that Democrats would come out on top. However, the final tally splashed his dreams. 

Former President Trump appreciated his voter base for coming out in big numbers to vote for Youngkin in the gubernatorial election. Labeling it as a “defining moment,” Youngkin added without the voters, it was never possible.

He pledged to change the trajectory of the commonwealth by starting transformations right from the very beginning. Republicans are also leading the elections of lieutenant governor, Virginia House of delegates, and state attorney general, which indicates the GOP is all-set to flip the state completely.

Kevin McCarthy, the House Minority Leader, said the results are the “wake-up call for Democrats,” which encourages them to stay away from partisanship. Likewise, the GOP leader predicted Democrats are likely to face bigger challenges than this in the upcoming midterm elections.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR