Republican Glenn Youngkin Wins VA Governor's Race

This story was updated at 9:55 a.m. Wednesday

VIRGINIA — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe conceded the Virginia governor's election Wednesday morning and offered congratulations to Republican Glenn Youngkin on his election victory, saying, "I hope Virginians will join me in wishing the best to him and his family."

Youngkin, a businessman and political newcomer, became the first Republican to win statewide office in Virginia since 2009.

"While last night we came up short, I am proud that we spent this campaign fighting for the values we so deeply believe in," McAuliffe said in a statement. "We must protect Virginia's great public schools and invest in our students. We must protect affordable health care coverage, raise the minimum wage faster, and expand paid leave so working families have a fighting shot."

McAuliffe expressed confidence "that the long-term path of Virginia is toward inclusion, openness and tolerance for all."

"Serving as Virginia’s 72nd governor was the highest honor of my life, and I will never stop fighting to make our Commonwealth stronger and brighter for all," he said.

Youngkin won with 50.68 percent of the votes to McAuliffe with 48.55 percent of the votes, based on counts as of 8:45 a.m. Wednesday. That breaks down to 1,663,755 votes for Youngkin and 1,593,741 votes for McAuliffe.

"Together, we will change the trajectory of this commonwealth," Youngkin told supporters, "and friends, we are going to start that transformation on day one. There is no time to waste, our kids can't wait, we work in real people time, not government time, so on day one we're going to work."

Among the actions Youngkin said he will take on Day 1 in office is to declare the largest tax refund in the history of Virginia. His economic plans include eliminating the grocery tax, suspending the most recent hike in the state's gas tax, and doubling everyone’s deduction.

"It’s time for Virginia to be the place where everyone wants to live, not leave," Youngkin said.

Another key campaign issue was giving parents a greater say in local schools.

He pledged to invest in teachers, facilities, and special education, along with introducing choice in the public school system, starting with charter schools. "We’re going to embrace our parents, not ignore them," Youngkin said.

Youngkin was elected governor a year after President Joe Biden easily won Virginia in the 2020 presidential election against incumbent Donald Trump.

Also on Wednesday morning, Gov. Ralph Northam said he spoke with Youngkin to congratulate him on being elected governor. "We will meet tomorrow to begin a smooth transition to his administration," Northam said in a statement.

“Over the past four years, Virginia has accomplished something unique in America — delivering the most progressive agenda in the country, while also preserving traditions of fiscal responsibility and economic stewardship," Northam said. "Most importantly, we have made Virginia a more welcoming, open, and inclusive Commonwealth. Virginians expect this critical work to continue."

Northam said Tuesday's election brought record voter turnout for a non-presidential election "because Virginians are engaged and involved in our government and democracy."

Since becoming the GOP’s nominee for governor, Youngkin, who retired as co-CEO of private equity firm The Carlyle Group in 2020, worked to keep his distance from Trump without alienating the former president's followers.

The Republican candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general also easily defeated their Democratic rivals.

Virginia voters also showed a strong preference for the Republicans in the other statewide races. Republican Winsome Sears, a former member of the House of Delegates, won a close election with Democrat Hala Ayala, a member of the House of Delegates. For attorney general, incumbent Mark Herring, a Democrat, lost to Republican Jason Miyares, a member of the House of Delegates.

(See live results from the Virginia Department of Elections at the bottom of this story.)

As of Wednesday morning, Sears had won 50.8 percent of the vote vs. 49.1 percent for Ayala. That breaks down to 1,659,942 votes for Sears and 1,603,076 votes for Ayala.

Miyares had won 50.5 percent of the vote, or 1,649,034 votes, compared to 49.4 percent, or 1,614,724, for Herring.

Republicans won their first statewide races since 2009, when Bob McDonnell was elected governor, an office he held from 2010 to 2014.

Seeking his second term as governor, McAuliffe preceded Democrat Ralph Northam as governor in the only state that does not allow its governor to serve consecutive terms.

In its final poll before the election, Roanoke College had McAuliffe up by one percentage point over Youngkin, 47 percent to 46 percent, with 6 percent undecided. A FOX 5 DC/InsiderAdvantage poll, released Monday, had Youngkin with a 2 percentage point advantage over McAuliffe, 47 percent to 45 percent, and undecided at 6 percent.

A Fox News poll released last Thursday found that 53 percent of likely voters were backing Youngkin, with 45 percent in favor of McAuliffe. The margin of error among likely voters is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

RELATED: VA Election 2021: McAuliffe, Youngkin Nearly Tied In Final Poll

Youngkin, who retired as co-CEO of private equity firm The Carlyle Group in 2020, embraced Trump during the Republican nominating process earlier in 2021. But since becoming the party's nominee, he has tried to keep his distance from Trump without alienating the former president's followers.

Earlier this year, the political newcomer latched onto well-organized campaigns by conservative groups to target public school systems that opted to use remote learning during the worst part of the pandemic. In recent months, Youngkin aligned himself with these same conservative groups' attacks on elected school boards.

Throughout the general election, McAuliffe has worked to link Youngkin to Trump, hoping that the state's voters, who overwhelmingly voted for Joe Biden in 2020, will reject Youngkin a year later.

Lt. Governor Makes History

In winning the lieutenant governor's race, Sears broke barriers as the first woman and the first woman of color to be elected to the office in state history. Ayala also would have been the first woman of color to hold statewide office if she had won.

Sears, who was born in Jamaica, is the first Black Republican woman to be elected to the Virginia General Assembly, representing the 90th district from 2002 for one term. In 2004, she launched an unsuccessful bid for Congress against Democrat Rep. Bobby Scott.

She is also a Marine veteran, former vice president of the Virginia Board of Education and owner of an appliance business. She is a wife and mother of three daughters. In 2012, her 27-year-old daughter DeJon L'Air Williams and two grandchildren died in a car accident.

"It's a historic night — yes, it is — but I didn't run to make history. I just wanted to leave it better than I found it," Sears said before a crowd of supporters early Wednesday morning.

What Virginia Voters Have To Say

Arlington resident Craig Colgan said Youngkin inspired him to come to the central library polling place on Tuesday.

“I think this is a different kind of candidate,” he said. “This is a candidate that Virginia needs. I think he’s excited a lot of people. I think he’s excited a lot of centrists. I think he’s excited a lot of Democrats. That’s a new kind of candidate for the state. I think the state can benefit from somebody like that who can bring people together.”

A Falls Church City voter, a public school teacher at Marshall High School in Fairfax County, said the state’s economy and education were big issues for him in the election.

“I’m a young man, I have a family, and we’re considering moving because it’s so expensive to live here,” he said. “Being able to get some reassurance on where Virginia is going in terms of the economy was important and making sure that people can sustain a family."

Youngkin’s campaign strategy to focus on what public schools are teaching students “was a good move,” the teacher said.

“Youngkin sounds like he’s trying to be the people’s governor. He’s trying to make sure that everybody who is the low man on the totem pole — your common people — are looked out for,” he said.

Alexandra Tillmann, also of Falls Church, said that in Loudoun County and other jurisdictions across the country where elected school board members are under attack, some parents are trying to “manipulate the school systems and teachers” into teaching a narrow view on certain topics.

“Working in the best interests of our students and our teachers is about making sure that our schools are diverse and equitable and that students have a diverse understanding of our nation’s history and future,” she told Patch. “That’s the only way we can build a strong system of democratic governance for years to come.”

Jordan Dixon of Arlington said reproductive rights and negotiating cheaper prescription drugs were her two biggest issues at the state level and why she voted for McAuliffe for governor.

“With the governor’s election, there was one candidate who wanted to propose an abortion ban, and I’m really big on female reproductive rights — my body, my choice,” Dixon said.

She fears Virginia could be headed in the same direction as Texas in terms of making it almost impossible for women to get an abortion with Youngkin as governor and if Republicans gained control of the General Assembly.

In 2019, Democrats gained a slim majority in the Virginia Senate, giving the party control of the governorship, Senate and House. Over the past two General Assembly sessions, Democratic lawmakers succeeded in turning Virginia into one of the most progressive states by passing laws that make it easier to vote, increased spending on education, raised the minimum wage, abolished the death penalty and legalized marijuana.

Patch editors Emily Leayman and Michael O'Connell contributed to this article.

Return to Patch tonight for the latest vote tally. Subscribe to free News Alerts for election results.

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