Youngkin wins Virginia governor’s race, jolting Democrats

Glenn Youngkin won the Virginia governor's race early on Nov. 3, tapping into culture war fights over schools and race to unite former President Donald Trump's most fervent supporters with enough suburban voters to become the first Republican to win statewide office here in 12 years.

The 54-year-old Youngkin's defeat of Democrat Terry McAuliffe marked a sharp turnabout in a state that has shifted to the left over the past decade and was captured by President Joe Biden last year by a 10-point margin. It is certain to add to the Democrats' anxiety about their grip on political power heading into next year's midterms, when the party's thin majority in Congress could be erased.

"This is the spirit of Virginia coming together like never before," Youngkin told cheering supporters in a hotel ballroom in Chantilly, about 25 miles west of Washington. AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" had blared from speakers as the race was called after midnight.

Youngkin promised to lead not just from the state capital but with "a vision where Virginians' power, the power that has historically resided in the marble halls in Richmond is spread out, spread out into the kitchen tables that are held together with the bond and the spirit of liberty and freedom."

In addition to the stinging Virginia loss for the Democrats, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was in a close fight as he sought to become the first Democratic governor to win reelection in the state in more than four decades. Biden won there by more than 15 points in 2020.

The elections were the first major tests of voter sentiment since Biden took office, and the results were a stern warning sign. His administration has been shaken in recent months by the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, persistent challenges...