After winning the election over former Gov. Terry McAuliffe Tuesday night Glenn Youngkin will be Virginia’s next governor, making him the first Republican to win statewide in over a decade and putting an end to Democrats’ total control over the legislative process.
Youngkin led by just over two points when the Associated Press called the race early Wednesday, with a record turnout in rural areas and a spirited Republican base. He narrowly trailed McAuliffe in most polls right up until the final days of the race, when he gained momentum and took the lead in a state that President Joe Biden won by over 10 points just a year ago.
Republican Winsome Sears won the state’s race to be lieutenant governor, while Jason Miyares, also a Republican, led in the state’s attorney general race as well. Republicans also appear to have turned six seats in the Virginia State House, a margin that would turn Democrats’ 10-seat majority into a 51-49 GOP majority.
“Together we will change the trajectory of this Commonwealth,” Youngkin said in a speech early Wednesday. “We’re going to restore excellence in our schools.”
While Virginia’s economic recovery and the coronavirus vaccine were at the forefront of the issues in the beginning, education was at the main focus as the election became more nationalized and McAuliffe’s lead started to slip.
“While last night we came up short, I am proud that we spent this campaign fighting for values we so deeply believe in,” McAuliffe said in a statement conceding the race. “Congratulations to Governor-Elect Youngkin on his victory. I hope Virginians will join me in wishing the best to him and his family.”
Education moved to the forefront of both campaigns after McAuliffe said that he did not “think that parents should be telling schools what they should teach” during a September debate, referencing the two bills he vetoed while governor that would have allowed parents to stop their kids from engaging with material that they deemed explicit or sexual. Youngkin reminded the public of McAuliffe’s remark in the following weeks, even airing ads that accused him of siding against parents when it came to their children’s education.
McAuliffe in response accused Youngkin of promoting a “racist dog whistle,” then tried to tie him to former President Donald Trump, who twice lost the state and is still unpopular there. He also campaigned alongside Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama and other high-profile Democrats in a bid to energize his base.
Critical Race Theory (CRT) and transgender rights also became crucial issues in the final weeks of the race, with increasingly discontented parents voicing their concerns in front of school boards. In Loudoun County, which extends west from Washington, D.C.’s outer suburbs, the school board covered up the alleged sexual assault of a girl by a transgender classmate, leading to the board’s head resigning in October.
“[Virginia] is leading the nation away from heavy-handed government control and putting power back into the hands of the people,” former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said when asked to comment on Youngkin’s win. “Virginians rejected woke policies and chose an optimistic vision for the future.”
Youngkin further vowed to ban the teaching of CRT in Virginia schools on his first day in office. “We are going to embrace our parents, not ignore them,” he added.
In addition to Youngkin’s late momentum, concerns over rising inflation, crime and the pandemic have risen nationwide, contributing to the plummeting Democrats’ overall approval given their control of the White House and Congress. They have also attempted to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill and Biden’s $1.75 trillion spending package, which together comprise the bulk of his domestic agenda, though they intend to vote on both this week and are hoping to compromise on key provisions.
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