GOP governor candidates win in Virginia, lead in New Jersey as Dems jolted

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Businessman Glenn Youngkin will become Virginia's next governor, ABC News and the Associated Press projected, after a fierce battle in the most closely watched contest in an off-year election. He's the first Republican to win statewide office there since 2009. 

Youngkin defeated Democratic candidate and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. With about 95% of the vote in, Youngkin led McAuliffe by about 51% to 48.3%.

The 54-year-old Youngkin is a political newcomer and was a virtual unknown at the start of the race. He beat McAuliffe, who served as governor from 2014 to 2018.

The result may be a sign of trouble for Democrats heading into the midterms, as it was a stark departure from 12 months ago when Biden captured the state by 10 points. The bruising campaign this year centered on issues including Youngkin’s ties to former President Donald Trump, abortion rights and culture war battles over schools.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy was trying to win re-election against Republican former State Assembly member Jack Ciattarelli in a race in which Ciattarelli held a slight lead, but it remained too close to call early Wednesday. Murphy was seeking to be the first Democrat re-elected as the state’s governor in 44 years.

The night's results, though, may ultimately be interpreted as an early judgment of Biden, who captured Virginia last year by a comfortable margin and easily won New Jersey. The closeness of both governor’s races indicated just how much his party’s political fortunes have changed in a short period.

The White House has been shaken in recent months by the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, a sometimes sluggish economic recovery amid the pandemic and a legislative agenda at risk of stalling on Capitol Hill.

The loss in Virginia, which has trended toward Democrats for more than a decade particularly deepens the sense of alarm inside the party heading into next year’s midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake. Biden had expressed optimism going into the evening while acknowledging that “the off-year is always unpredictable.”