'If we are not focused on climate change now, when we have the ability to change things, then it's going to be too late,' McAuliffe supporter Christopher Weir said.Īnother voter said the Democratic control of the General Assembly is what motivated his vote. The input that they need to make sure the children are raised the way they want them to be,' a woman supporting Youngkin said. 'I'm looking for parents' rights and freedoms with the children so that they can have I wouldn't want to see something like that happen in Virginia,' said one woman voting for McAuliffe.

'I'm very concerned about reproductive rights, especially with things that are in the docket for the Supreme Court to decide on … and what's going on in Texas. McAuliffe and Youngkin were mostly out of sight ahead of election night parties planned in the critical Northern Virginia suburbs that each campaign was counting on.Įducation, abortion and climate change were issues dominating the election for some voters News4 spoke with in Fairfax County Tuesday afternoon. Voting proceeded largely without incident across Virginia Tuesday. Tight Virginia Race Becomes Referendum on Biden Presidencyĭuring his campaign, Youngkin avoided being seen with Trump and other national GOP leaders. Among Youngkin voters, 73% have a favorable opinion of Trump but 21% have an unfavorable opinion of him. Among McAuliffe voters, 94% said they have an unfavorable view of Trump and only 3% view him favorably. Forty-one percent said they have a favorable view of the former president. The bruising campaign centered on issues including Youngkin's ties to former President Donald Trump, the future of abortion rights and culture war battles over schools.Īccording to NBC News exit poll results, 33% of voters said the economy/jobs was the most important issue, 24% selected education as the most important issue facing the state, followed by taxes (16%), coronavirus (13%) and abortion (9%).Īccording to NBC News exit polling, 54% of Virginia governor voters said they have an unfavorable opinion of Trump. Forty-nine percent said Biden was not a factor, 28% said one reason for their vote for governor was to express opposition to Biden, and 20% said one reason for their vote was to express support for the president. Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, thanked supporters and called for the vote count to continue in late-night remarks to supporters.Ībout half of Virginia early and Election Day voters said Biden was not a factor in their vote for governor, according to NBC News exit poll results. Everybody’s entitled to a world class education here in the commonwealth of Virginia, and we are continuing that fight tonight and every day going forward.” “We’ve got to make sure everybody gets affordable, quality health care here in the commonwealth of Virginia.

“We’ve got to make sure we protect a woman’s right to choose here in the commonwealth of Virginia,” McAuliffe said Tuesday night at his campaign event in Fairfax County. McAuliffe's campaign noted he ran in a tough environment for any Democrat, as Biden's approval numbers have slouched amid a stalemate over his economic agenda in Congress, his pullout from Afghanistan, rising inflation and the persistence of the coronavirus. Instead, McAuliffe, a prominent figure in Democratic politics and a former Virginia governor, got locked in a tight race with former business executive Youngkin as he tried to reclaim the post. Dean Sam Fulwood discusses how both parties could move forward following Republic Glenn Youngkin’s strong showing after mobilizing both Trump-supporting republicans and moderates with a focus on culture wars.Ībsentee ballots will be accepted until noon Friday if they were postmarked by Tuesday.īarely 12 months after President Joe Biden captured the state by 10 points, the governor's race was supposed to be a comfortable win for Democrats.

Virginia governor issues ad wars