Republican wins Virginia Governor’s race in blow to Biden

US: Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in Virginia’s high-profile Tuesday election for Governor, NBC News projects, flipping control of a state that President Joe Biden won handily just a year ago.

The results in Virginia and other states holding off-year elections sent a warning shot to Democrats, suggesting that trouble may be brewing ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

Virginia will also get its first woman of color lieutenant governor, with NBC News projecting victory for Republican Winsome Sears, a former Marine born in Jamaica.

Youngkin, a former private equity executive and political newcomer, campaigned on a promise to unite the factions of the Republican Party and drove a message focused on the economy and education. He kept just enough distance from former President Donald Trump while trying to keep his base engaged.

McAuliffe, meanwhile, was weighed down by his party’s post-Trump political fatigue, along with Biden’s sinking poll numbers and gridlocked agenda in Washington, but ran a campaign that included damaging gaffes and, critics say, was overly reliant on trying to tie Youngkin to Trump.

Virginia, which always elects a new Governor one year after Presidential races, has long been seen as a political bellwether and both parties were anxiously watching as results poured in from across the commonwealth, eager for clues about the political landscape that will inform their upcoming campaigns.

The GOP victory in Virginia, powered by robust turnout in conservative rural counties, improved support in the suburbs, and a message focused on the economy and alleged anti-white bias in school curriculum, will likely serve as a blueprint for Republicans looking to recapture the House and Senate next year.

– INDIA TODAY