Glenn Youngkin Wins Tight Virginia Governor's Race

Update: This file has been updated after the race was called. Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin were locked in a tight race for Virginia governor Tuesday night, the most closely watched contest in an off-year election that could prove a referendum on President Biden’s first year in office. The Washington Post and the AP called the race for Youngkin early Wednesday. Our previous rundown follows:

• The Biden lens: The initial results are a stark departure from 12 months ago, when Biden captured the state by 10 points. A loss in a state that has trended toward Democrats for more than a decade would deepen the sense of alarm inside the party heading into next year’s midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake. But the AP reports Biden expressed optimism going into the evening while acknowledging that "the off-year is always unpredictable."

• Inside the campaign: The bruising campaign centered on issues including Youngkin's ties to former President Trump, abortion rights and culture war battles over schools. Youngkin, a former business executive, has never held public office. Voters saw the economy as the top issue, followed by the coronavirus pandemic, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of statewide voters.
• Virginia election trivia: The Post notes that Virginia bars governors from holding consecutive terms. Since the Civil War, only a single governor has managed to serve two terms in the state.
• Elsewhere: The only other state that will elect a governor Tuesday is New Jersey, where Gov. Phil Murphy is trying to win reelection against Republican former State Assembly member Jack Ciattarelli. If successful, Murphy will be the first Democrat reelected as the state’s governor in 44 years. With 51% of the vote in, Murphy was trailing 48.3% to 50.9%.

(More Glenn Youngkin stories.)