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| Turnout | 54.9%  7.7[2] | ||||||||||||||||
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Youngkin: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% McAuliffe: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% 50% No data | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Virginia |
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The 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the next governor of Virginia. The election was concurrent with other elections for Virginia state offices. Incumbent Democratic governor Ralph Northam was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits governors from serving consecutive terms. Businessman Glenn Youngkin won the Republican nomination at the party's May 8 convention, which was held in 37 polling locations across the state,[3] and was officially declared the nominee on May 10.[4] The Democratic Party held its primary election on June 8,[5] which former governor Terry McAuliffe easily won.[6]
In the general election, Youngkin defeated McAuliffe by nearly 64,000 votes in what was considered a mild upset because McAuliffe led over Youngkin in the polls until right before election day.[7] Youngkin was the first Republican to win a statewide election in Virginia since 2009. The economy, education, public health, and cultural issues were centerpieces of Youngkin's campaign.[8][9][10] Youngkin promised to ban the teaching of critical race theory within state schools on "day one", push back against certain COVID-19 restrictions including vaccination mandates and mask mandates, and advocate for small government within the state of Virginia.[11][12][13]
Democrats tried to portray Youngkin as a political ally of Donald Trump, who lost Virginia in 2020, and Trump did indeed express support for Youngkin. Walking a fine line between welcoming the endorsement and demonstrating independence, Youngkin was able to successfully appeal to both Republicans and independents.[14] Political analysts believe that the main reason for the Democratic Party's defeat in Virginia was that voters were not satisfied with the performance of President Joe Biden, with whom McAuliffe allied himself.[15][16]
- ^ "Republican Glenn Youngkin is leading in Virginia governor race. Here's the latest". NPR. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ SUMMARY OF VIRGINIA REGISTRATION & TURNOUT STATISTICS (Report). Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ Wilson, Patrick (March 12, 2021). "After months of fighting, Va. Republicans appear to have finalized nomination process". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ Gabriel, Trip (May 11, 2021). "Glenn Youngkin Wins G.O.P. Nomination for Virginia Governor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ Kilgore, Ed (December 14, 2020). "Is Terry McAuliffe the Best Virginia Democrats Can Offer for Governor?". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on December 16, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
- ^ "Virginia Primary Election Results". The New York Times. June 8, 2021. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ Silver, Nate (November 2, 2021). "Who's ahead in the Virginia governor's race?". FiveThirtyEight. Archived from the original on July 17, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Ariel Edwards-Levy (November 2, 2021). "Independent voters favor Youngkin as he clinches victory in Virginia, CNN exit poll shows". CNN. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Prokop, Andrew (November 3, 2021). "What Glenn Youngkin's Virginia win means for Democrats". Vox. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Graham, David A. (November 2, 2021). "Tonight Is a Test of What Trumpism Could Be Without Trump". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ "In Virginia, Republicans see education, curriculum fears as a path to victory". NBC News. October 17, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ "Glenn Youngkin targets education in Virginia Gov. race, says he'd ban CRT". Newsweek. October 24, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Barrabi, Thomas (November 2, 2021). "Virginia governor-elect Youngkin's economic plan includes lower taxes, less regulation". FOXBusiness. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ "Republican political amateur wins Virginia governor election, President Biden's political and governance prospects are worrisome". VOA. November 3, 2021. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ Manchester, Julia; Samuels, Brett (July 23, 2021). "Biden hits trail for McAuliffe in test of his political brand". The Hill. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ^ Sargent, Greg (November 3, 2021). Opinion: Why did the Democratic coalition fracture so quickly?. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 5, 2021.