Terry McAuliffe has won the Democratic nomination for governor of Virginia, in what will be the first major election under President Joe Biden. McAuliffe was governor of Virginia from 2014 to 2018, and if he wins, he will be the first governor to hold the office twice since 1978.
The Associated Press called the election in McAuliffe’s favor an hour after the polls closed.
The Republican nominee, Glenn Youngkin, is a former private equity executive and this is his first time running. In terms of experience, McAuliffe holds the upper hand in a race that many have called one of the most competitive elections of the year.
This election is expected to expose the true damage done to the Republican Party by former President Donald Trump after the Capitol Insurrection.
McAuliffe spent a majority of his victory speech attacking his opponent and calling out his connection to Trump. In reference to the amount of money his opponent spent on the campaign, McAuliffe said “there are 75 million reasons why Glenn Youngkin could win,” reiterating that Virginians would not be bought by the Republican candidate.
“Youngkin is not a reasonable Republican,” McAuliffe went on to say. He attacked his gun control and abortion views as extreme, while also highlighting the candidate’s tie to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
Democrats hold all the major statewide public office in Virginia, and both Biden and current Gov. Ralph Northam (D), who cannot legally run again, are extremely popular in the state.
While McAuliffe’s victory gives hope to the Democratic Party, progressives were still disappointed that neither Carroll Foy nor Jennifer McClellan, two black women in the race, did not win the nomination.
