Jump to content

2021 Virginia gubernatorial election

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2021 Virginia gubernatorial election

← 2017November 2, 2021[1]2025 →
Turnout54.9% Increase 7.7[2]
 
NomineeGlenn YoungkinTerry McAuliffe
PartyRepublicanDemocratic
Popular vote1,663,1581,599,470
Percentage 50.6% 48.6%

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

Governor before election

Ralph Northam
Democratic

Elected Governor

Glenn Youngkin
Republican

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 an 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 is politically unpopular in Virginia,[citation needed] 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] Youngkin successfully campaigned on dissatisfaction with current economic and educational policies from voters, particularly centrists, to win more votes than in the past in several key suburban counties to fuel his election.[citation needed]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Endorsements

Lee J. Carter
Justin Fairfax
Foreign politician
Terry McAuliffe
Governor
U.S. Representative
State delegates
State senators
Local officials
Labor unions
Newspapers
Individuals
Organizations
Jennifer McClellan

Debates

Democratic Primary Debates
DateVenueVideoTerry McAuliffeJennifer Carroll FoyJennifer McClellanJustin FairfaxLee J. Carter
April 6, 2021Virginia State UniversityYouTubeParticipantParticipantParticipantParticipantParticipant

McClellan opened the debate calling for a “nominee who will excite and expand our base. I’ve spent 31 years building this party and electing Democrats at the local, state and national level. It’s not enough to give someone something to vote against. We’ve got to give people something to vote for,” McClellan said. Foy said in her opening statement that she is presenting bold ideas that past politicians have failed to bring to Virginia. The pointed remark came before she went after the record of McAuliffe, the first criticism of the night directed at the presumptive frontrunner.[64] Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax compared scrutiny of his sexual assault allegations to that of the cases of George Floyd and Emmett Till in the debate.[65] McAuliffe mainly avoided directly responding to the attacks, focusing instead on his record as governor, the support he's received during his campaign and, stopping Glenn Youngkin in November's general election. Later in the debate, Carter called McAuliffe out for mentioning Youngkin and Trump so often. “The debate that we’re supposed to be having on this stage is a debate about the future of this commonwealth,” he said. “It’s about what we stand for and what we’re going to fight for. And this is the first opportunity for the Democratic Party to define what it is going to be after Donald Trump is gone. And he is gone. So, we can’t just be a party that is opposed to the other guys. We have to fight for something.” Carter, a self-described socialist, reiterated his proposal to use tax revenue from the marijuana industry to fund reparations.[64]

Polling

Graphical summary

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size[a]
Margin
of error
Jennifer
Carroll Foy
Lee
Carter
Justin
Fairfax
Terry
McAuliffe
Jennifer
McClellan
OtherUndecided
Roanoke CollegeMay 24 – June 1, 2021637 (LV)± 3.9%11%1%5%49%9%0%24%
Christopher Newport UniversityApril 11–20, 2021806 (LV)± 3.9%5%1%8%47%6%2%31%
Public Policy Polling (D)April 12–13, 2021526 (LV)± 4.3%8%4%7%42%8%29%
Christopher Newport UniversityJanuary 31 – February 14, 2021488 (RV)± 4.9%4%1%12%26%4%0%54%
YouGov Blue (D)February 6–11, 2021235 (RV)± 7.4%7%6%6%43%8%0%30%
Global Strategy Group (D)[A]January 12–20, 2021600 (LV)± 4.0%7%14%42%6%30%
Expedition Strategies (D)[B]December 2020– (LV)5%16%32%8%38%

Results

Results by county and independent city:
  McAuliffe
  •   80–90%
  •   70–80%
  •   60–70%
  •   50–60%
  •   40–50%
Democratic primary results[66]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticTerry McAuliffe 307,367 62.10%
DemocraticJennifer Carroll Foy98,05219.81%
DemocraticJennifer McClellan58,21311.76%
DemocraticJustin Fairfax17,6063.56%
DemocraticLee J. Carter13,6942.77%
Total votes494,932 100.00%

Republican convention

The Republican nomination process for the 2021 elections was the subject of a lengthy and acrimonious debate within the Republican Party of Virginia.[67][68] On December 5, 2020, the state Republican Party voted to hold a convention instead of a primary by a vote of 39 to 35.[69] State Senator Amanda Chase initially indicated that she would run as an independent,[70] but she later decided to seek nomination at the convention; on the day of the convention, she acknowledged that if she did not win the nomination, she may reconsider and run as an independent, although she eventually decided against this.[71] Faced with pressure from the Chase campaign and activists to return to a primary, the state committee debated scrapping the convention on January 23, 2021. These efforts were unsuccessful and the party reaffirmed their decision to hold a convention.[72] On February 9, 2021, the Chase campaign sued the Republican Party of Virginia, arguing that the convention is illegal under COVID-19-related executive orders signed by Governor Ralph Northam.[73] The Richmond Circuit Court dismissed the Chase campaign's lawsuit on February 19, 2021.[74] The Republican Party of Virginia announced on March 26, 2021, that seven gubernatorial candidates had qualified to appear on the convention ballot.[75] On April 11, 2021, the state Republican Party Rules Committee voted to tabulate the ballots by hand; three days later, however, the committee reversed itself and decided to use a vendor's software-based tabulation method.[67]

On April 20, 2021, five candidates (Amanda Chase, Kirk Cox, Sergio de la Peña, Peter Doran, and Glenn Youngkin) participated in a forum at Liberty University in Lynchburg.[76] Two candidates, Octavia Johnson and Pete Snyder, did not attend the forum.[76][77]

The state Republican convention to select the party's nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general took place on May 8, 2021,[68][67] in "unassembled" format,[67] with ballots to be cast remotely at up to 37 locations statewide[68] using ranked-choice voting.[67] The complex process fueled internal party disputes.[78] Up to 40,000 people were anticipated to become delegates, although not all would necessarily cast votes.[67] Local Republican Party leaders control the application process to become a delegate, decide who can participate (voter registration in Virginia does not include a space to indicate party affiliation), and select the convention voting site.[78] In the preceding Virginia Republican gubernatorial convention, 12,000 participated.[67]

Orthodox Jewish Virginia Republicans asked the party to allow absentee voting for religious reasons (May 8 is on the Jewish Sabbath), but the State Central Committee initially voted down the request, failing to achieve the 75% supermajority needed to change the rules.[79] However, the Virginia GOP ultimately reversed course and allowed those with religious objections to vote in the May 8 convention via absentee ballots. Republican candidates Kirk Cox, Peter Doran, and Glenn Youngkin had criticized the previous decision to not accommodate Orthodox Jews.[80]

Cox received crucial endorsements of Bob McDonnell and George Allen, the former of which was the last statewide elected Republican (alongside Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli) in Virginia prior to 2022. He was regarded by some as the establishment favorite heading into the convention.[81] Nonetheless, he finished fourth on the first voting round behind Glenn Youngkin, Pete Snyder, and Amanda Chase. Youngkin was nominated on the sixth round of voting.

Candidates

Nominated at convention

Eliminated at convention

Did not qualify

Declined

Endorsements

Amanda Chase
Kirk Cox
U.S. Senators
Governors
U.S. Representatives
State delegates
State senators
Individuals
Glenn Youngkin
U.S. Senator
Governor
State senator
State delegate

Polling

Graphical summary

Without convention polling

Primary polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size[a]
Margin
of error
Amanda
Chase
Kirk
Cox
Sergio
de la Peña
Peter
Doran
Octavia
Johnson
Pete
Snyder
Glenn
Youngkin
OtherUndecided
Change Research (D)May 5–6, 2021605 (LV)± 4.4%29%7%2%0%1%13%25%25%
Public Policy Polling (D)[C]April 2021695 (LV)± 3.7%22%7%3%1%0%16%21%30%
Christopher Newport UniversityJanuary 31 – February 14, 2021370 (RV)± 5.6%17%10%3%55%
YouGov Blue (D)February 6–11, 2021170 (RV)± 8.6%24%7%1%13%5%0%54%

Convention polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size[a]
Margin
of error
Amanda
Chase
Kirk
Cox
Pete
Snyder
Glenn
Youngkin
OtherUndecided
The Trafalgar Group (R)[D]April 29 – May 3, 20213,896 (LV)± 1.6%10%10%26%38%13%3%
Final results by county and independent city:
  Youngkin
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  Tie
  •   50%
  Snyder
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   90–100%

Results

Round-by-round result visualization of the Ranked Choice Voting election
Virginia GOP Convention, Governor Nominee[112]
CandidateRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6
Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
Glenn Youngkin4131.8032.9%4140.5533.0%4148.9133.0%4331.9334.5%5311.4342.3%6869.2254.7%
Pete Snyder3241.6125.8%3243.8425.8%3249.7125.9%3502.9127.9%4078.2532.5%5684.7845.3%
Amanda Chase2605.8920.8%2611.5420.8%2619.8320.9%2859.3922.8%3164.3225.2%Eliminated
Kirk Cox1693.5813.5%1698.1313.5%1705.9013.6%1859.7714.8%Eliminated
Sergio de la Peña805.356.4%812.446.5%829.656.6%Eliminated
Peter Doran 42.280.3%47.500.4%Eliminated
Octavia Johnson33.480.3%Eliminated

Other parties and independents

Candidates

Declared

Did not qualify

Declined

General election

On August 26, the Republican Party of Virginia filed a lawsuit to disqualify McAuliffe from appearing on the ballot in November. The suit alleges that McAuliffe did not sign his declaration of candidacy, which is needed to qualify in the primary and general election.[123] It was found that the declaration of candidacy was missing his signature, although it includes two witnesses' signatures. The suit also alleges the witnesses violated state law by witnessing a signing that didn't occur.[124]

Debates

Canceled debates

On July 12, Glenn Youngkin announced he would not take part in the July 24 debate hosted by the Virginia Bar Association because of a donation made by one of the moderators, Judy Woodruff.[125][126] Woodruff had made a $250 donation to the Clinton Foundation relief fund after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The foundation had been run by Hillary and Bill Clinton, who are close allies to Terry McAuliffe.[125] On July 28, after discovering that Youngkin would participate in an 'election integrity' rally at Liberty University, McAuliffe declined a debate at the same university.[127] On August 2, Youngkin declined participation in The People's Debate.[128] The two candidates pledged to two debates; one on September 16 and one on September 28.[129]

First debate

Youngkin and McAuliffe met at Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia on September 16, 2021, one day before early voting began.[130] The debate was hosted by USA Today Washington Bureau Chief, Susan Page.[131]

The debate started with discussion over a recent COVID-19 mandate President Joe Biden signed requiring federal workers, employees of large companies, and contractors to be vaccinated.[132][133] Youngkin doubted if Biden had the power to authorize the mandate, and supported personal choice for receiving the vaccine. McAuliffe supported the mandate and accused Youngkin of spreading "anti-vax" rhetoric.[133] Youngkin denied the claim. McAuliffe also supported requiring vaccines for students over the age of 12.[134] McAuliffe has also repeatedly made false statements about COVID-19, often inflating the number of cases.[135]

The discussion moved to climate change, where Youngkin stated he would use all sources of energy to address climate change without "putting [the] entire energy grid at risk for political purposes." McAuliffe called for clean energy in the state by 2035 and stressed the idea for the state to be a production hub.[129]

The discussion then moved to abortion, specifically the recent Texas Heartbeat Act signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott (who endorsed Youngkin).[136] When asked whether or not Youngkin would sign a similar bill, Youngkin stated that he would not sign the bill, and that he was anti-abortion and supports exclusions in cases such as rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is endangered. He also stated he supports a "pain-threshold" bill that would ban most abortions at the point when a fetus can feel pain, which proponents of this type of law define as 20 weeks.[129] In addition, Youngkin stated McAuliffe was "the most extreme pro-abortion candidate in America today".[136] In response to Youngkin, McAuliffe stated he was a "brick wall" on women's rights and would protect a woman's decision over abortion and supports reducing the number of doctors needed to certify a third-trimester abortion from three to one.[136]

The next discussion topic was over election integrity. After supporting an "Election Integrity Taskforce", Youngkin stated he does not believe there has been "significant fraud", and stated the issue of fraud as "a democracy issue". Youngkin stressed that he believes that "Joe Biden's our president" and criticized the withdrawal from Afghanistan. McAuliffe took note of Donald Trump's endorsement of Youngkin, calling him a "Trump wannabe".[133] Both candidates stated they would concede the election if the other came out on top.[136]

The final discussion topic was over the economy. McAuliffe attacked Youngkin on his top economic advisor, Stephen Moore, who advised Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Youngkin defended Virginia's right-to-work law.[136]

Second debate

Youngkin and McAuliffe met at the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce on September 28, 2021.[137] The event was hosted by Chuck Todd, moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. Less than a week before the debate, one of the panelists, Michael Fauntroy, withdrew from the debate after tweets against the GOP and Evangelicals were found.[138]

On the discussion topic of COVID-19, Youngkin and McAuliffe reiterated their stances on the vaccines. Youngkin stated he believed in mandates for vaccines for diseases measles, mumps and rubella, but not for COVID-19, saying that "the data associated with those vaccines is something that we should absolutely understand the difference between this vaccine."[139] Youngkin said people should get vaccinated against COVID-19.[139]

During the debate, Youngkin noted that Trump was regularly mentioned by McAuliffe, who again called Youngkin a "Trump wannabe."[139][140] When asked, Youngkin stated he would support Trump if he were to become the Republican nominee in 2024.[140]

Approximately 15 minutes into the debate, third party candidate Princess Blanding, who was in the audience, disrupted the debate, screaming that her exclusion from the debate was "unfair" and claiming that McAuliffe would not win the election.[141] After being escorted out by security, she claimed that being excluded from the debate was racist and sexist, and that it constituted "censorship".[142]

Youngkin asserted that McAuliffe had vetoed legislation that would have required schools to inform parents about sexually explicit content in educational materials.[143][144] McAuliffe defended his veto, saying: "'I'm not going to let parents come into schools and actually take books out and make their own decision... I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach'".[145][146][144] McAuliffe received criticism for these remarks,[147][148] and Youngkin used his comments to create an attack ad.[149][150] Following the election, Newsweek described McAuliffe's remarks as "a major factor in the race".[151]

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report[152]TossupOctober 5, 2021
Inside Elections[153]TossupNovember 1, 2021
Sabato's Crystal Ball[154]Lean R (flip)November 1, 2021

Endorsements

Terry McAuliffe (D)
Federal officials
Governors
U.S. Senators
U.S. Representatives
State legislators
Local officials
Labor unions
Organizations
Newspapers
Individuals
Glenn Youngkin (R)
Executive Branch officials
U.S. Senators
Governors
U.S. Representatives
State legislators
Local officials
Organizations
Individuals

Polling

Aggregate polls
Source of poll
aggregation
Dates
administered
Dates
updated
Terry
McAuliffe (D)
Glenn
Youngkin (R)
Other/Undecided
[b]
Margin
Real Clear PoliticsOctober 20–31, 2021November 1, 202146.8%48.5%4.8%Youngkin +1.7%
FiveThirtyEightAugust 1 – November 1, 2021November 1, 202147.0%47.9%5.1%Youngkin +1.0%
Average46.9%48.2%5.0%Youngkin +1.4%
Graphical summary
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size[a]
Margin
of error
Terry
McAuliffe (D)
Glenn
Youngkin (R)
Princess
Blanding (Lib.)
OtherUndecided
Research Co.October 31 – November 1, 2021450 (LV)± 4.6%47%48%2%3%
Targoz Market ResearchOctober 26 – November 1, 2021747 (LV)± 3.6%50%47%3%
The Trafalgar Group (R)October 29–31, 20211,081 (LV)± 3.0%47%49%2%2%
InsiderAdvantage (R) Archived April 17, 2022, at the Wayback MachineOctober 27–30, 2021500 (LV)± 4.4%45%47%2%6%
Echelon Insights Archived October 29, 2021, at the Wayback MachineOctober 27–29, 2021611 (LV)± 4.0%46%49%2%4%
Roanoke CollegeOctober 14–28, 2021571 (LV)± 4.7%48%47%1%0%4%
Fox NewsOctober 24–27, 20211,212 (RV)± 2.5%47%48%2%3%
1,015 (LV)± 3.0%45%53%1%1%
Washington Post/Schar SchoolOctober 20–26, 20211,107 (RV)± 3.5%47%44%3%2%[c]3%
49%45%3%[d]4%
918 (LV)± 4.0%49%48%1%0%[e]2%
49%48%0%[f]2%
Christopher Newport UniversityOctober 17–25, 2021944 (LV)± 3.5%49%48%1%1%
Suffolk UniversityOctober 21–24, 2021500 (LV)± 4.4%46%45%2%7%
Emerson CollegeOctober 22–23, 2021875 (LV)± 3.2%48%48%1%3%
co/efficient (R)[E]October 20–21, 2021785 (LV)± 3.5%43%47%5%5%
Cygnal (R)October 19–21, 2021816 (LV)± 3.4%48%48%1%3%
KAConsulting LLC (R)[F]October 18–21, 2021661 (LV)± 3.8%41%43%1%15%
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityOctober 9–21, 2021722 (LV)± 6.4%41%38%10%11%
Monmouth UniversityOctober 16–19, 20211,005 (RV)± 3.1%46%46%2%7%
1,005 (LV)[g]45%48%
1,005 (LV)[h]48%45%
Data for Progress (D)October 4–15, 20211,589 (LV)± 2.0%50%45%2%3%
The Trafalgar Group (R)October 11–13, 20211,095 (LV)± 3.0%48%48%1%3%
Fox NewsOctober 10–13, 20211,004 (RV)± 3.0%52%41%2%5%
726 (LV)± 3.5%51%46%1%2%
Schoen Cooperman Research (D)October 9–12, 2021500 (LV)± 4.4%47%43%0%10%
YouGov/CBS NewsOctober 4–11, 20211,040 (LV)± 4.1%50%47%2%0%
Christopher Newport UniversitySeptember 27 – October 6, 2021802 (LV)± 4.2%49%45%1%5%
Emerson CollegeOctober 1–3, 2021620 (LV)± 3.9%49%48%1%2%
Fox NewsSeptember 26–29, 2021901 (RV)± 3.0%48%44%1%7%
Roanoke CollegeSeptember 12–26, 2021603 (LV)± 4.6%48%41%1%1%9%
Monmouth UniversitySeptember 22–26, 2021801 (RV)± 3.5%48%43%2%8%
801 (LV)[g]48%45%
801 (LV)[h]50%43%
Global Strategy Group (D) Archived March 16, 2022, at the Wayback MachineSeptember 16–20, 2021600 (LV)± 4.0%48%45%7%
KAConsulting LLC (R)[F]September 17–19, 2021700 (LV)± 3.7%46%42%1%10%
Public Policy Polling (D)[G]September 17–18, 2021875 (V)± 3.3%45%42%13%
Virginia Commonwealth UniversitySeptember 7–15, 2021731 (LV)± 6.9%43%34%10%13%
Emerson CollegeSeptember 13–14, 2021778 (LV)± 3.4%49%45%2%5%
University of Mary WashingtonSeptember 7–13, 20211,000 (A)± 3.1%43%38%2%6%[i]11%
885 (RV)± 3.3%46%41%2%
528 (LV)± 4.1%43%48%2%2%[j]6%
Washington Post/Schar SchoolSeptember 7–13, 2021907 (RV)± 4.0%49%43%3%4%
728 (LV)± 4.5%50%47%1%2%
WPA Intelligence (R)[H]August 30 – September 2, 2021734 (LV)± 3.6%46%48%3%4%
48%48%4%
The Trafalgar Group (R)August 26–29, 20211,074 (LV)± 3.0%47%46%2%5%
Monmouth UniversityAugust 24–29, 2021802 (RV)± 3.5%47%42%2%9%
802 (LV)[g]47%45%
802 (LV)[h]49%42%
Christopher Newport UniversityAugust 15–23, 2021800 (LV)± 3.6%50%41%3%6%
Change Research (D)August 17–21, 20211,653 (LV)± 3.6%49%43%3%5%
Change Research (D)[I]August 14–18, 20211,334 (LV)± 2.7%47%44%9%
Roanoke CollegeAugust 3–17, 2021558 (LV)± 4.2%46%38%2%1%13%
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityAugust 4–15, 2021770 (RV)± 5.4%40%37%15%9%
~747 (LV)± 5.5%40%37%14%9%
co/efficient (R)August 8–9, 20211,200 (LV)± 2.8%47%45%8%
WPA Intelligence (R)[H]August 3–5, 2021734 (LV)± 3.6%50%43%3%4%
51%45%4%
co/efficient (R)[J]July 25–27, 2021762 (LV)± 3.5%45%40%2%13%
The Trafalgar Group (R)July 8–10, 20211,104 (LV)± 2.9%47%45%4%4%
Spry Strategies (R)[K]July 6–9, 2021600 (LV)± 4.0%46%41%2%10%
JMC Analytics and Polling (R)June 9–12, 2021550 (LV)± 4.2%46%42%12%
WPA Intelligence (R)[H]June 2–6, 2021506 (LV)± 4.4%48%46%5%

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports
CandidateAmount spentVotesCost per vote
Glenn Youngkin$64,487,8291,663,158$38.77
Terry McAuliffe$68,777,6331,599,470$43.00
Princess Blanding$32,59523,107$1.41
Source: Virginia Public Access Project[240]

Results

Election turnout by county:
  30–40%
  40–50%
  50–60%
  60–70%
  70–80%
2021 Virginia gubernatorial election[241]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RepublicanGlenn Youngkin 1,663,158 50.58% +5.61%
DemocraticTerry McAuliffe1,599,47048.64%-5.26%
LiberationPrincess Blanding23,1250.70%+0.70%
Write-in2,5920.08%+0.03%
Total votes3,288,327 100% N/A
Turnout3,296,70555.39%
Registered electors5,951,368
Republican gain from Democratic

Results by county and city

Independent cities have been italicized.

County or
city
YoungkinMcAuliffeBlandingOthersTurnout
VotesPercentVotesPercentVotesPercentVotesPercent
Accomack7,87861.08%4,94838.37%670.52%40.03%52.27%
Albemarle19,14137.21%31,91962.05%3470.67%360.07%62.94%
Alexandria14,01324.02%43,86675.20%3850.66%660.11%54.35%
Alleghany4,53074.52%1,51824.97%260.43%50.08%55.18%
Amelia4,72074.19%1,61725.42%230.36%20.03%64.17%
Amherst9,73171.00%3,89728.43%720.53%60.04%61.34%
Appomattox5,97180.26%1,43819.33%260.35%50.07%62.61%
Arlington21,54822.63%73,01376.67%5540.58%1160.12%56.13%
Augusta26,19677.93%7,23121.51%1700.51%160.05%62.72%
Bath1,53979.04%39620.34%110.56%10.05%59.25%
Bedford30,91279.10%8,00120.47%1450.37%210.05%63.60%
Bland2,27485.78%36413.73%120.45%10.04%58.91%
Botetourt13,06676.30%3,99023.30%610.36%80.05%66.32%
Bristol3,77373.30%1,34226.07%300.58%20.04%43.60%
Brunswick2,88047.34%3,16552.02%340.56%50.08%55.60%
Buchanan5,08384.72%90315.05%80.13%60.10%40.17%
Buckingham3,89463.29%2,22236.11%350.57%20.03%56.78%
Buena Vista1,45974.33%48124.50%221.12%10.05%45.53%
Campbell18,21378.39%4,93021.22%770.33%150.06%57.88%
Caroline6,91757.35%5,04541.83%910.75%80.07%54.33%
Carroll9,86883.45%1,91016.15%430.36%40.03%57.19%
Charles City1,55045.76%1,82253.79%150.44%00.00%59.93%
Charlotte3,35470.26%1,39629.24%210.44%30.06%57.26%
Charlottesville2,77415.99%14,37882.88%1731.00%220.13%51.71%
Chesapeake48,07952.43%42,90746.79%6540.71%590.06%53.53%
Chesterfield80,88951.76%74,08547.41%1,1940.76%1090.07%59.81%
Clarke4,64262.54%2,73936.90%340.46%70.09%63.36%
Colonial Heights4,91373.27%1,72925.79%530.79%100.15%52.84%
Covington1,19866.82%57932.29%160.89%00.00%47.36%
Craig2,07983.16%40016.00%170.68%40.16%63.12%
Culpeper13,43666.47%6,66132.95%1070.53%100.05%56.89%
Cumberland2,67863.38%1,51535.86%270.64%50.12%58.50%
Danville5,90745.92%6,87253.42%800.62%50.04%45.27%
Dickenson3,86780.31%93419.40%110.23%30.06%47.46%
Dinwiddie7,33563.33%4,18136.10%590.51%70.06%56.92%
Emporia72339.47%1,08759.33%201.09%20.11%46.75%
Essex2,68457.00%1,98042.05%390.83%60.13%58.61%
Fairfax County152,11034.47%286,31664.89%2,3480.53%4920.11%56.98%
Fairfax3,60635.56%6,46563.74%590.58%120.12%59.03%
Falls Church1,59022.63%5,38876.69%420.60%60.09%64.83%
Fauquier22,25265.46%11,57034.04%1560.46%140.04%62.13%
Floyd5,23069.75%2,20329.38%590.79%60.08%64.55%
Fluvanna7,06856.75%5,31242.65%650.52%90.07%61.40%
Franklin County17,84274.82%5,89424.71%1020.43%100.04%61.06%
Franklin1,27042.83%1,68056.66%140.47%10.03%51.41%
Frederick25,06268.90%11,16430.69%1300.36%190.05%55.88%
Fredericksburg3,50338.77%5,40259.79%1131.25%170.19%48.96%
Galax1,42473.94%49225.55%90.47%10.05%48.98%
Giles5,78878.33%1,53520.77%610.83%50.07%61.83%
Gloucester12,58572.37%4,71227.09%880.51%60.03%59.40%
Goochland9,58565.87%4,91033.74%520.36%50.03%71.07%
Grayson5,14482.48%1,06217.03%270.43%40.06%58.20%
Greene5,96167.42%2,80631.73%680.77%70.08%61.43%
Greensville1,70946.98%1,91552.64%120.33%20.05%57.08%
Halifax8,64163.90%4,80435.53%750.55%20.01%55.08%
Hampton14,65132.48%29,97166.45%4491.00%330.07%45.75%
Hanover39,95467.65%18,75331.75%3220.55%350.06%68.30%
Harrisonburg4,38238.65%6,81260.09%1311.16%120.11%43.63%
Henrico55,79640.24%81,40958.71%1,3420.97%1200.09%58.70%
Henry12,90269.61%5,54729.93%740.40%130.07%51.52%
Highland96974.37%32524.94%80.61%10.08%69.31%
Hopewell3,09549.31%3,08549.16%871.39%90.14%40.95%
Isle of Wight12,00064.26%6,56535.16%910.49%170.09%61.95%
James City21,04852.50%18,83646.98%1860.46%210.05%64.70%
King and Queen2,11264.77%1,13034.65%180.55%10.03%61.53%
King George7,28668.09%3,31731.00%910.85%70.07%56.68%
King William6,28673.33%2,24726.21%330.38%60.07%63.49%
Lancaster3,44858.71%2,40640.97%160.27%30.05%64.96%
Lee6,37287.60%88212.13%180.25%20.03%47.78%
Lexington77537.30%1,28962.03%100.48%40.19%50.28%
Loudoun71,46744.17%89,39055.25%8030.50%1340.08%57.31%
Louisa11,64966.04%5,89633.43%870.49%70.04%62.60%
Lunenburg3,01965.67%1,56734.09%110.24%00.00%57.41%
Lynchburg13,66854.89%11,00044.17%1980.80%350.14%45.53%
Madison4,72170.17%1,97329.33%290.43%50.07%66.37%
Manassas5,05044.67%6,15554.44%870.77%140.12%49.09%
Manassas Park1,37938.34%2,15859.99%461.28%140.39%41.45%
Martinsville1,67642.48%2,22456.38%401.01%50.13%44.61%
Mathews3,49371.56%1,36327.92%180.37%70.14%67.70%
Mecklenburg7,92265.81%4,07533.85%370.31%30.02%53.54%
Middlesex3,70365.97%1,86033.14%470.84%30.05%65.24%
Montgomery17,04151.96%15,35546.82%3771.15%220.07%53.82%
Nelson4,25955.46%3,34643.57%640.83%110.14%65.23%
New Kent8,56971.02%3,43928.50%520.43%60.05%66.93%
Newport News21,24139.14%32,39959.69%5881.08%480.09%44.66%
Norfolk18,88831.45%40,32467.14%7891.31%600.10%43.96%
Northampton2,65050.34%2,58449.09%270.51%30.06%55.11%
Northumberland4,16763.95%2,31235.48%370.57%00.00%64.79%
Norton86671.99%32026.60%131.08%40.33%47.70%
Nottoway3,49764.57%1,89234.93%240.44%30.06%56.89%
Orange10,67066.23%5,35133.22%800.50%90.06%59.09%
Page7,59478.92%1,99520.73%280.29%50.05%57.41%
Patrick5,94682.14%1,25517.34%320.44%60.08%57.37%
Petersburg1,20713.50%7,59184.87%1411.58%50.06%38.61%
Pittsylvania19,54375.31%6,31924.35%760.29%120.05%58.02%
Poquoson4,89777.75%1,36421.66%320.51%50.08%66.33%
Portsmouth9,94633.34%19,51365.41%3551.19%190.06%44.73%
Powhatan12,58276.86%3,72122.73%580.35%100.06%69.69%
Prince Edward3,87654.40%3,21045.05%360.51%30.04%53.63%
Prince George8,54864.65%4,57734.62%840.64%130.10%54.60%
Prince William64,65842.20%87,35257.01%1,1110.73%970.06%50.22%
Pulaski9,63174.06%3,27725.20%880.68%90.07%55.72%
Radford2,26654.03%1,87944.80%441.05%50.12%44.70%
Rappahannock2,50759.45%1,68639.98%190.45%50.12%68.59%
Richmond County2,22569.90%93629.41%200.63%20.06%56.80%
Richmond15,71319.61%61,92977.27%2,4093.01%910.11%51.03%
Roanoke County28,15765.70%14,44533.70%2200.51%370.09%59.61%
Roanoke12,02441.25%16,81757.70%2720.93%340.12%45.28%
Rockbridge6,90668.89%3,07130.64%400.40%70.07%63.52%
Rockingham26,76575.31%8,56924.11%1820.51%230.06%64.32%
Russell8,22984.83%1,45214.97%170.18%30.03%51.16%
Salem6,14464.29%3,34434.99%600.63%80.08%54.34%
Scott7,06586.89%1,03412.72%280.34%40.05%51.83%
Shenandoah13,69374.64%4,53524.72%1070.58%110.06%58.26%
Smyth8,47782.55%1,75117.05%350.34%60.06%51.88%
Southampton5,08464.90%2,71734.68%290.37%40.05%60.69%
Spotsylvania32,47859.84%21,42639.47%3460.64%290.05%53.76%
Stafford31,68055.00%25,46344.20%4250.74%350.06%54.13%
Staunton4,64047.49%5,00451.21%1191.22%80.08%55.60%
Suffolk17,35147.26%19,07951.96%2520.69%340.09%53.79%
Surry1,76850.00%1,75649.66%90.25%30.08%63.39%
Sussex1,97349.02%2,02850.39%240.60%00.00%57.08%
Tazewell12,04586.59%1,82113.09%400.29%40.03%50.34%
Virginia Beach86,97353.62%73,96545.60%1,1600.72%990.06%50.63%
Warren11,29471.85%4,32827.53%890.57%80.05%53.64%
Washington17,39579.08%4,50520.48%780.35%180.08%57.11%
Waynesboro4,47356.94%3,27541.69%991.26%90.11%53.02%
Westmoreland4,61460.55%2,97138.99%300.39%50.07%55.91%
Williamsburg1,70334.54%3,18564.59%400.81%30.06%49.68%
Winchester4,13748.69%4,29450.54%600.71%50.06%48.16%
Wise9,69183.90%1,79615.55%530.46%110.10%47.86%
Wythe9,45881.78%2,04317.67%590.51%50.04%56.43%
York17,48558.59%12,19040.85%1500.50%160.05%60.79%

Counties and independent cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Results by region and precinct

Results by region[k]
Results in the Shenandoah Valley
Results in Central Virginia
Results in Southside
Results in Hampton Roads

Results by congressional district

Youngkin won 6 of 11 congressional districts, including two that were held by Democratic U.S. representatives at the time. He also flipped Virginia's 2nd congressional district which was previously won by Ralph Northam in 2017.[243][244]

DistrictYoungkinMcAuliffeBlandingRepresentative
1st58.6%40.7%0.7%Rob Wittman
2nd53.7%45.5%0.8%Elaine Luria
3rd37.0%61.9%1.1%Bobby Scott
4th42.6%55.9%1.5%Donald McEachin
5th59.7%39.7%0.6%Bob Good
6th66.0%33.3%0.7%Ben Cline
7th55.0%44.3%0.7%Abigail Spanberger
8th26.8%72.5%0.8%Don Beyer
9th74.6%24.8%0.8%Morgan Griffith
10th47.4%52.0%0.6%Jennifer Wexton
11th32.6%66.6%0.8%Gerry Connolly

Analysis

Youngkin won the election, 50.6%–48.6%.[2][245] The margin of victory was the narrowest margin in a Virginia gubernatorial election since 1989. McAuliffe conceded the day after the election and congratulated Youngkin, saying he was "proud" to campaign "for the values we so deeply believe in".[246][247] Republicans also flipped the lieutenant governor and attorney general races that were held concurrently,[248] as well as took control of the Virginia House of Delegates. This election, as well as the concurrent elections for lieutenant governor and attorney general, marked the first time since the 1969 gubernatorial election that a Republican won Virginia without Loudoun County, and the first time since the 1960 presidential election that a Republican won statewide without Prince William County. This is the first time Surry County backed the Republican candidate since John Warner's largely uncontested re-election in 2002 and the first time Prince Edward County or Northampton County voted Republican since 2009. This is also the first time any Virginia statewide candidate has won without at least one of the three Northern Virginia counties of Loudoun, Prince William, Fairfax, or the independent cities therein. Over 3.28 million votes were cast, exceeding the 2017 gubernatorial election total by roughly 625,000 and exceeding all other previous Virginia gubernatorial elections by over a million.

Youngkin's victory is attributed to the "Youngkin coalition" of largely Trump supporters, suburbanites and Hispanics which contributed to a Republican victory in the state.[249][250][251] The appeal to suburban voters, who have shifted away from the Republican Party as Donald Trump increasingly influenced it, was attributed to Youngkin's distancing from Trump and hesitancy to openly embrace him.[250] Youngkin's performance in the suburbs near Washington, D.C. were stronger than that of Trump's margins in the 2020 United States presidential election.[252] During the final days preceding the general election held on November 2, Youngkin campaigned in the suburban areas of northern Virginia.[253] Previous similar attempts to combine a coalition of Trump supporters and suburban voters, including Ed Gillespie's run for governor in 2017, were met with failure.[254]

Voter demographics

Voter demographic data was collected by CNN. The voter survey is based on exit polls completed by voters in person as well as by phone.[255]

2021 Virginia gubernatorial election (CNN)[255]
Demographic subgroupYoungkinMcAuliffe% of
total vote
Ideology
Liberals69323
Moderates396041
Conservatives93736
Party
Democrats49636
Republicans97334
Independents544530
Gender
Men564448
Women465352
Race/ethnicity
White623873
Black138616
Latino32665
Asian33673
Gender by race
White men663436
White women574337
Black men13867
Black women14869
Latino men (of any race)N/AN/A2
Latino women (of any race)23753
Other racial/ethnic groups38625
Age
18–24 years old47525
25–29 years old43545
30–39 years old475313
40–49 years old514818
50–64 years old524834
65 and older554526
2020 presidential vote
Biden59548
Trump98244
Education
Never attended college613815
Some college education584124
Associate degree584212
Bachelor's degree445525
Advanced degree406024
Education by race
White college graduates475237
White no college degree762436
Non-white college graduates257511
Non-white no college degree207915
Education by gender/race
White women with college degrees396118
White women without college degrees742519
White men with college degrees554419
White men without college degrees782217
Non-white227727
Issue regarded as most important
Taxes683215
Economy554433
Education534724
Coronavirus168415
Abortion58418
Abortion should be
Legal267358
Illegal871337
Region
DC Suburbs366429
Central Virginia594018
Hampton Roads465415
Richmond/Southside505018
Mountain703020
Area type
Urban326721
Suburban534660
Rual633619

See also

Notes

Partisan clients

References

External links

Official campaign websites
🔥 Top keywords: Main PageSpecial:SearchIndian Premier LeagueWikipedia:Featured picturesPornhubUEFA Champions League2024 Indian Premier LeagueFallout (American TV series)Jontay PorterXXXTentacionAmar Singh ChamkilaFallout (series)Cloud seedingReal Madrid CFCleopatraRama NavamiRichard GaddDeaths in 2024Civil War (film)Shōgun (2024 miniseries)2024 Indian general electionJennifer PanO. J. SimpsonElla PurnellBaby ReindeerCaitlin ClarkLaverne CoxXXX (film series)Facebook2023–24 UEFA Champions LeagueYouTubeCandidates Tournament 2024InstagramList of European Cup and UEFA Champions League finalsJude BellinghamMichael Porter Jr.Andriy LuninCarlo AncelottiBade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024 film)