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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Republican Winsome Sears defeated Democrat <keyword id="12440328" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hala-ayala" source="Orion">Hala Ayala</keyword> in <keyword id="11918128" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="virginia" source="Orion">Virginia</keyword>'s lieutenant <keyword id="11909865" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="governor" source="Orion">governor</keyword> race.</li><li>Sears is the first Black woman elected to a statewide office in Virginia.</li></ul>Former Republican Del. Winsome Sears defeated Hala Ayala, a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates in Tuesday's race for<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-elect-first-woman-lieutenant-governor-hala-ayala-winsome-sears-2021-10"> Virginia's lieutenant governor</a>. Polls closed in Virginia at 7 p.m. ET.<h3>The candidates:</h3>Sears, made history as the first Black Republican woman elected to the House in 2002 after she ousted the 20-year Democratic incumbent of Virginia's 90th District, William Robinson. A Jamaican immigrant, she also became the first naturalized US citizen to serve in the House. She is also the first woman of color to be elected to statewide office in Virginia, where <keyword id="11893346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics" source="Orion">politics</keyword> have historically been dominated by white men. In 2004, Sears unsuccessfully challenged longtime Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia's 3rd Congressional District. She took another run at federal office in 2018 as a write-in alternative to Republican senatorial candidate Corey Stewart, but lost that race.Sears is a former US Marine, former vice president of the Virginia State Board of Education, and a former director of a women's homeless shelter. Her campaign sought to create more jobs, lower taxes, and also strengthen the state's schools.Ayala, for her part, ran to address access to affordable healthcare, to help workers and small businesses in their COVID-19 economic recovery, and to strengthen Virginia's education system. A native Virginian, Ayala identifies as Afro-Latina, with roots in North Africa, El Salvador, Lebanon, and Ireland. She's been involved in politics through various stints: as a volunteer for then-President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, an organizer of the first Women's March in Washington, DC, and an appointee on former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe's Council of Women. Before entering politics, she was a longtime cybersecurity specialist at the Department of Homeland Security.Ayala ran for Virginia's 51st House District in Prince William County in 2017 and defeated Rich Anderson, a four-term incumbent Republican. She became one of the first two Hispanic women elected to the House. In December 2020, she launched her bid for lieutenant governor, announcing that she would not seek reelection for her House seat.<h3>The stakes: </h3>Sears ran alongside Glenn Youngkin, Virginia's new governor-elect, and Republican Del. Jason Miyares, the state's new attorney general-elect. Ayala was on a ticket with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe and Attorney General Mark Herring.These three statewide races posed the most significant electoral test yet of the Democratic Party's strength in the commonwealth since President Joe Biden took office in January. And while the lieutenant governor's election has gotten far less attention than the gubernatorial race, the results will set the tone in Virginia politics for years to come.As Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/25/virginias-lieutenant-governor-nominees-couldnt-be-more-opposite-key-issues/">recently wrote in The Washington Post</a>: "The winner is a potential tiebreaking vote on critical policy issues, next in the line of succession to lead the commonwealth and very often a future gubernatorial nominee."

Republican Winsome Sears defeats Hala Ayala in Virginia lieutenant governor's race

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12440328" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hala-ayala" source="Orion">Hala Ayala</keyword> and <keyword id="12440329" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="winsome-sears" source="Orion">Winsome Sears</keyword> are running to become <keyword id="11918128" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="virginia" source="Orion">Virginia</keyword>'s next lieutenant governor.</li><li>The election of either candidate would be historic - a woman has never served in this role.</li></ul>For months, Virginia voters have watched former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin slug it out in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-gubernatorial-election-terry-mcauliffe-glenn-youngkin-voters-decide-2021-10">the state's highly-competitive gubernatorial election</a>.But there's also a race just as fascinating on the same ballot.Democratic state Del. Hala Ayala and former GOP state Del. Winsome Sears are the respective nominees for their parties in the lieutenant governor's race, and the election of either woman would represent a huge milestone in the Commonwealth - whoever is elected would be the first woman to hold the position, as well as the first woman of color elected to statewide office.Ayala, a longtime federal cybersecurity specialist who identifies as Afro-Latina, Lebanese, and Irish, first ran for office in 2017; she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates alongside a wave of Democrats who were concerned about the conservative bent of the legislature and the direction of the country under then-President Donald Trump.Sears, a businesswoman and Marine Corps veteran, is seeking a return to <keyword id="11893346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics" source="Orion">politics</keyword>, having served one term in the House of Delegates from 2002 to 2004 and running unsuccessfully for a US House seat in 2004.While Ayala has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-governor-race-terry-mcauliffe-glenn-youngkin-biden-democrats-trump-2021-10">allied</a> herself with her Democratic ticketmates, including former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and two-term state Attorney General Mark Herring, Sears has campaigned extensively with her ticket, which features Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin and state Del. Jason Miyares, the GOP nominee for state Attorney General.If elected, Ayala hopes to work with legislators to expand access to health care, enact climate change initiatives, and increase funding for apprenticeship and internship programs, among other proposals.Sears would like to focus on the economy - implementing a small-business tax holiday, cutting what she sees as burdensome regulations by 25 percent, and eliminating the state's grocery tax.The close nature of the gubernatorial election has also trickled down to the lieutenant governor's race.In the latest <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/10/29/virginia-governors-race-poll/">Washington Post-Schar School poll</a>, Ayala led Sears by a 50%-46% margin among likely voters - the survey had a margin of error of 4%.Whoever wins the race will have a highly consequential role presiding over the state Senate, which is composed of 21 Democrats, 18 Republicans, and 1 conservative-leaning Independent.The outgoing lieutenant governor, Democrat Justin Fairfax, has cast 52 tiebreaking votes during his tenure.After regaining full control of state government for the first time in a generation after the 2019 midterm elections, Democrats are angling to continue wielding the gavel in the upper chamber.Meanwhile, Republicans, who haven't won a statewide race in Virginia since 2009, are hoping that their losing streak will end on Nov. 2.

Two women vie to become the first female lieutenant governor in Virginia history

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Republican <keyword id="12440329" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="winsome-sears" source="Orion">Winsome Sears</keyword> defeated Democrat Hala Ayala in the <keyword id="11918128" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="virginia" source="Orion">Virginia</keyword> <keyword id="6354564" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lieutenant-governor" source="Orion">lieutenant governor</keyword> election.</li><li>Sears has encouraged others to get vaccinated against <keyword id="11893994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19" source="Orion">COVID-19</keyword> but has not said if she has done so.</li></ul>During a Sunday interview with <keyword id="11893609" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cnn" source="Orion">CNN</keyword> correspondent <keyword id="12580443" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="dana-bash" source="Orion">Dana Bash</keyword>, incoming Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears said that she will not disclose whether she has gotten vaccinated against COVID-19, despite encouraging others to do so, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/21/politics/winsome-sears-covid-vaccine-cnntv/index.html">CNN reported</a>.When Bash asked Sears why it's acceptable for Virginia to mandate childhood vaccinations for other diseases but not COVID-19, Sears said that vaccinations have become politicized and the US is based on freedom, so our country should "let liberty shine."Bash pressed Sears further about her own vaccination status, which she declined to share."The minute that I start telling you about my vaccine status, we're going to be down the bottom of the mountain trying to figure out how we got there, because now you'll want to know what's in my DNA," <a href="https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1462430826042384392">Sears responded</a>.When Sears, a Republican, was elected over <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-lt-governor-race-hala-ayala-vs-winsome-sears-results-2021-11">Democratic candidate Hala Ayala</a> on November 2, she became the first woman and the first woman of color to hold the lieutenant governorship.

Incoming Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears said that disclosing her vaccination status is a 'slippery slope' that would lead to questions about what's in her DNA

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biden's bipartisan <keyword id="12025847" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="infrastructure-bill" source="Orion">infrastructure bill</keyword> stalled in the House for months before passing on Friday.</li><li>Sen. <keyword id="12467728" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tim-kaine" source="Orion">Tim Kaine</keyword> said the timing may have cost <keyword id="11972414" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="terry-mcauliffe" source="Orion">Terry McAuliffe</keyword> the governor's race in <keyword id="11918128" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="virginia" source="Orion">Virginia</keyword>.</li></ul>Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said his party "blew the timing" on the infrastructure and social spending bills, possibly costing Terry McAuliffe re-election in Virginia, a state won by President <keyword id="99719" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joe-biden" source="Orion">Joe Biden</keyword> in 2020.McAuliffe, a Democrat, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/glenn-youngkin-virginia-republican-victory-voter-policy-education-economy-trump-2021-11">lost the race on Tuesday</a> to Republican <keyword id="11972415" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="glenn-youngkin" source="Orion">Glenn Youngkin</keyword>, a wealthy businessman and first-time candidate, with Biden's low approval ratings being cited as a potential factor.Biden's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-approval-rating-polling-pandemic-response-independents-obama-comparison-2021-10">sinking approval ratings</a> have been attributed to a number of factors, including the stalling of the infrastructure bill. After passing in the Senate in August, the bill waffled in the House of Representatives for months, finally <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-approves-biden-infrastructure-bill-centrists-social-spending-bill-passage-2021-11">passing on Friday</a>, days after the election in Virginia."I think Congressional Democrats blew the timing," Kaine told CBS on Sunday, referring to both the infrastructure bill and the Democrats' social spending package that has not yet passed. "We should have passed these bills in early October.""If we had it would've helped Terry McAuliffe probably win the governor's race. It would've been good for President Biden," Kaine continued.Democrats had a brutal day of losses Tuesday. In addition to losing the governor's race, Republican Winsome Sears defeated Democrat Hala Ayala in the lieutenant governor's election. Two-term Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring lost to Republican challenger Jason Miyares and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-house-of-delegates-elections-live-results-updates-2021-11">Democrats in Virginia House of Delegates</a> saw their majority shrink.Despite criticizing the timing, Kaine said he was confident the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-strikes-deal-with-manchin-sinema-cuts-social-benefits-plan-2021-10">$1.75 trillion social spending bill</a>, which the Democrats plan to pass without any Republican votes, will happen."We are going to get these bills done," he said. "They're great for every zip code in this country."But a small group of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-approves-biden-infrastructure-bill-centrists-social-spending-bill-passage-2021-11">centrists Democrats refused to support the bill</a> on Friday, requesting an economic analysis from the Congressional Budget Office first, causing Speaker Nancy Pelosi to again shelve the vote for now.Earlier in the week, Kaine blamed "purist" demands by some Democrats in Congress for McAuliffe's loss."Democrats in Congress hurt Terry McAuliffe," Kaine told reporters Wednesday. "Democrats wanted to be purist about whatever their own particular goals were - left, right and center - and hold out, and dither, and delay."Others have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/glenn-youngkin-virginia-republican-victory-voter-policy-education-economy-trump-2021-11">blamed the loss on McAuliffe's attempt</a> to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-mcauliffe-wrongly-says-gop-rival-appeared-with-trump-2021-11">make the race a referendum on former President Donald Trump</a>, despite Youngkin <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/glenn-youngkin-virginia-republican-victory-voter-policy-education-economy-trump-2021-11">maintaining distance</a> from Trump while still appealing to MAGA voters.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said his party 'blew the timing' on the infrastructure and social spending bills, contributing to the party's loss in VA governor race

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Republican Jason Miyares on Tuesday defeated <keyword id="11918128" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="virginia" source="Orion">Virginia</keyword>'s Democratic Attorney General <keyword id="12460141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mark-herring" source="Orion">Mark Herring</keyword>.</li><li> Miyares, a current state lawmaker and ex-prosecutor, is the state's first Latino attorney general. </li></ul>Republican Jason Miyares defeated Democratic incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring in Virginia on Tuesday.Polls in Virginia closed at 7 p.m. ET.<h3>The candidates:</h3>Miyares has served as a Republican member of Virginia's House of Delegates, which encompasses part of Virginia Beach, since 2016. He was the first Cuban American elected to the General Assembly, and has often highlighted his Cuban background on the campaign trail by telling the story of his mother's immigration to the US in 1965. He makes history as the state's first Latino attorney general. Miyares has touted his experience as a former prosecutor to <a href="https://wjla.com/news/elections/attorney-general-race-in-virginia-meet-republican-candidate-jason-miyares">set himself apart from his rival.</a> He's criticized how Democrats in office have handled public safety and is running "to keep our communities safe and secure," which includes fighting human trafficking, supporting the police, and restoring law and order, <a href="https://www.jasonmiyares.com/issues">according to his campaign website.</a> Miyares opposes increased gun-control policies and says gun violence should be solved by <a href="https://wtop.com/virginia/2021/10/virginia-attorney-general-candidate-jason-miyares-on-crime-vaccines-and-more/">targeting criminals.</a>Miyares also opposes abortion except for cases of rape, incest, and medical emergencies. He's voted against Medicaid expansion and a minimum-wage increase."People know I'm a middle-of-the-road guy. I call balls and strikes," Miyares told <a href="https://wjla.com/news/elections/attorney-general-race-in-virginia-meet-republican-candidate-jason-miyares">WJLA</a>. "I want to be a thoughtful and reasonable attorney general."Herring, first elected in 2013, lost his bid for third term in office. He <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-democratic-governor-lt-governor-ag-primaries-results-2021-6">defeated fellow Democratic challenger</a> Jerrauld Jones by over 13 points in the June primary.Herring previously represented Virginia Senate's 33rd District, which covers parts of Fairfax and Loudoun counties, for eight years. His hometown is Leesburg, Virginia, where he established his own law firm before seeking public office.During his tenure as attorney general, Herring fought to uphold same-sex marriage, decriminalize marijuana, and protect the state's environment. He also successfully defended the Affordable Care Act against a Trump administration challenge at the US Supreme Court. Herring told <a href="https://wjla.com/news/elections/attorney-general-race-in-virginia-meet-democratic-candidate-and-incumbent-mark-herring">local TV station WJLA</a> that he's running "to continue the progress we've been making in Virginia." His platform addressed building the economy, fighting for equality, tackling the opioid epidemic, and reducing gun violence.<h3>The stakes:</h3>Miyares ran alongside Glenn Youngkin, Virginia's new governor-elect, and Winsome Sears, the state's new lieutenant governor-elect. Herring was on a ticket with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe and lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Hala Ayala.These three statewide races posed a significant electoral test of the Democratic Party's strength in the commonwealth since President Joe Biden took office in January. If he'd been elected, Herring would have become one of the longest-serving attorneys general in Virginia's history.

Republican Jason Miyares defeats two-term Democrat Mark Herring for Virginia attorney general

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="23461" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Virginia">Virginia</keyword> is holding Democratic primaries for key statewide offices on Tuesday. </li><li>Former Democratic Gov. <keyword id="215050" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Terry-McAuliffe">Terry McAuliffe</keyword> easily clinched the nomination for his old office. </li><li>Polls in Virginia closed at 7 p.m. ET. </li></ul>Virginia voters are casting their ballots for June 8th's Democratic primaries for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. Polls closed at 7 p.m. ET. Governors can only serve one term at a time under the Virginia constitution, meaning current Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam can't run for a second consecutive term.Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe <a href="https://dcist.com/story/21/06/04/virginia-democratic-primary-terry-mcauliffe-takes-lead/">easily clinch the Democratic nomination for the governorship</a>, which he previously held before Northam from 2014 to 2018. The <a href="https://www.roanoke.edu/about/news/rc_poll_democratic_primary_2021">latest poll of the primary, conducted by Roanoke College</a>, found McAuliffe leading the field by a wide margin. The poll, conducted from May 24 to June 1, surveyed 637 likely Democratic primary voters with a margin of error of ±3.9 points. In the survey, 49% of likely Democratic voters said they had already voted or planned to vote for McAuliffe, 16% for House Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy, 11% for Del. Jennifer McClellan, and 27% undecided. Two other candidates, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Del. Lee Carter, polled in the single digits. McAuliffe<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-republican-nominee-governor-convention/2021/05/10/c31a9bbe-ae8b-11eb-acd3-24b44a57093a_story.html"> will face businessman Glenn Youngkin</a>, who was chosen as the GOP nominee by a select number of party members in a May 8 ranked-choice party convention, with delegates casting their votes at locations around the state.Virginia Republicans, who opted for the convention format over a traditional primary, selected Youngkin over two GOP members of the House of Delegates, Kirk Cox and Amanda Chase, and entrepreneur Pete Snyder. McAuliffe is favored by election analysts to defeat Youngkin in the November general election in Virginia, which has trended from a swing state to solidly Democratic territory over the past two decades. The Virginia governor's race is currently rated as "likely Democratic" by <a href="https://insideelections.com/ratings/governor">Inside Elections</a> and <a href="https://cookpolitical.com/ratings/governor-race-ratings">the Cook Political Report</a>, and as "leans Democratic" by <a href="https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2022-governor/">the Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.</a>Historically, however, Virginia gubernatorial elections have tended to be more difficult for the party that won the presidential election the prior year, so Democrats aren't guaranteed a win. The outcome of the open Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, however, was far less certain. Democratic Del. Hala Ayala ultimately secured the nomination, defeating Del. Sam Rasoul and a slew of other candidates in a the crowded field. In the race for attorney general, Democratic incumbent Mark Herring fended off a primary challenge from Del. Jerrauld "Jay" Jones, a fellow Democrat. The Roanoke College poll found that 50% of voters had voted for or planned to vote for Herring with 20% for Jones and 28% of voters undecided.

RESULTS: Virginia voters select Terry McAuliffe as the Democratic nominee for governor

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Democratic Rep. Abigail <keyword id="15469448" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Spanberger" source="Orion">Spanberger</keyword> told Insider she sought out GOP Rep. Liz Cheney's endorsement.</li><li>"I think her voice is an important one on democracy issues," said Spanberger.</li></ul>WOODBRIDGE, <keyword id="23461" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Virginia" source="Orion">Virginia</keyword> — Republican Rep. <keyword id="15469447" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Liz-Cheney-of-Wyoming" source="Orion">Liz Cheney of Wyoming</keyword> publicly endorsed Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia on Saturday, saying the former CIA officer is "dedicated to serving this country and her constituents and defending our Constitution." The cross-party endorsement, first <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/05/liz-cheney-endorse-spanberger-virginia/">reported by the Washington Post</a>, came as Spanberger made her closing pitch on the final day of early voting in the swing district before the midterm elections on Tuesday. "People are enthusiastic about it," Spanberger said of the high-profile endorsement in a phone interview with Insider on Saturday. "I think her voice is an important one on democracy issues." The Virginia congresswoman told Insider she sought out Cheney's endorsement as part of her efforts to build a political coalition that includes Republicans. Spanberger said she's "long had a strong working relationship" with the Wyoming lawmaker, but that her admiration for Cheney grew as she stood up to her party over former President Donald <keyword id="6354862" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Trump" source="Orion">Trump</keyword> and January 6, losing her position as House Republican Conference Chair as a result. It soon became clear the admiration was mutual. In a <a href="https://youtu.be/h-Cs82o9WOk">recent appearance at Harvard University</a>, Cheney — the vice-chair of the January 6 committee — named Spanberger and other Democratic women with national security backgrounds as members of Congress that she has "the most respect for." "We've had funny conversations where she'll say, like, 'I mentioned you in an interview, I hope you don't mind," said Spanberger with a laugh. "That's sort of the genesis of it." So Spanberger approached Cheney and asked if she'd make a formal endorsement. Cheney agreed. For Cheney, it's just the latest in a string of endorsements for Democrats this year. She's <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/liz-cheney-tim-ryan-endorsement-jd-vance-ohio-senate-race/">said that she would vote for</a> Democrat Tim Ryan over Republican JD Vance in Ohio's Senate race, has <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3709170-liz-cheney-launches-new-ad-targeting-arizona-gop-candidates/">campaigned against</a> Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake in Arizona, and <a href="https://www.local10.com/gallery/news/2022/11/02/gops-cheney-visits-michigan-to-support-democrat-slotkin-bid/">recently campaigned</a> for Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin in Michigan. <div type="image" title="Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine speaks to volunteer canvassers in Prince William County, VA on Saturday, Nov. 5." height="849" width="1133" msid="95330111" hostid="261"></div>Spanberger faces a strong challenge from Republican Yesli Vega, a member of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and a former police officer. <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings">Various</a> <a href="https://www.politico.com/2022-election/race-forecasts-ratings-and-predictions/virginia/house/district-07/">election forecasters</a> have deemed the race to be a "toss-up," and the contest is <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/most-expensive-races">among the country's most competitive and expensive House races</a>. In her statement announcing the Spanberger endorsement, Cheney said Vega was "promoting conspiracy theories, denying election outcomes she disagrees with, and defending the indefensible." The specter of January 6 hangs over this race more than others. Spanberger is a member of the so-called "gallery group" of House members that sheltered in the chamber's upper level during the attack. Vega, meanwhile, <a href="https://virginiaconservatives.net/candidate-survey-2022#results_anchor">indicated her support for releasing January 6 rioters on a candidate questionnaire</a> and has <a href="https://youtu.be/vCDWF3gdRFg">characterized</a> Capitol rioters as "persecuted" and "shamed." On an unseasonably warm November afternoon, Spanberger rallied with fellow Democratic officials, including Sen. Tim <keyword id="3509929" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kaine" source="Orion">Kaine</keyword> and Rep. Gerry Connolly, at a canvassing launch in front of former State Delegate Hala Ayala's Woodbridge home. "I have spent almost my entire adult life in service to this nation," Spanberger told the crowd of volunteers. "I believe in this country more than I believe in anything else." <div type="image" title="GOP congressional candidate Yesli Vega speaks to supporters in Spotsylvania, VA on Saturday, Nov. 5." height="849" width="1133" msid="95330112" hostid="261"></div>Kaine told the crowd that Spanberger had the "backbone" needed to serve in Congress, steering his speech towards the subject of the Capitol riot. "I tell you, I serve with an awful lot of people in the Senate who were there when we were under attack," said Kaine, apparently referring to his Republican colleagues. "I know exactly what they think, because they told me what they think. But they're too afraid to say it." <h2>'A 50/50 race' </h2>Sean McElwee, founder of the left-leaning polling firm Data for Progress, called Spanberger's battle "the closest thing to a 50/50 race you can have." Republicans in Virginia are hoping to ride a national referendum on Biden's presidency and the state of the economy and are still buoyed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's unexpected victory last year. At a rally for Vega in Fredericksburg earlier on Saturday, Youngkin made frequent mention of his 2021 victory. "Nobody thought that a Republican could win a governor's race," Youngkin told the crowd. "Boy did we brought [sic] people together. You elected an outsider as governor last year." Vega introduced the governor with a four-and-a-half-minute stump speech. At a near-shouting pitch, Vega was light on specifics and issues but made occasional references to "government overreach" and "challenging the status quo." "America is the greatest country in the history of the world. So why are we running? We're at a crossroads folks," she said. "You've seen, you've heard, you've read what's been happening to our country over the last couple of years." A daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, Vega has downplayed her recent endorsement by Trump and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/10/28/yesli-vega-trump-spanberger/">sought to distance herself from some of her more right-wing positions</a>. She's said the 2020 election was "interfered with" and won't comment on Trump's election lies. She recently made headlines when she was caught on tape <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/27/yesli-vega-pregnancy-rape-audio-recording">doubting the possibility of women becoming pregnant as a result of rape</a>. <div type="image" title="Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin throws a basketball into the crowd at a rally for GOP congressional candidate Yesli Vega in Spotsylvania, VA." height="849" width="1133" msid="95330113" hostid="261"></div>Following the Democratic event in Woodbridge, Kaine dismissed Youngkin's allusions to a "red wave," pointing out that Youngkin's 2-point victory in 2021 was much smaller than prior Republican gubernatorial victories in 2009 and 1998: "His coattails are about as far as his shoulder blades," said Kaine Democrats argue that a Spanberger victory is important for preserving democracy. Asked about that, the Virginia congresswoman situated democracy within a broader framework of "uncertainty," whether that be economic or about the future of the country's political system. "There are plenty of people for whom democracy issues are their number one issues, and there are plenty of people who don't ever mention it," she said. But Spanberger's also running in a district with a high percentage of government employees. "For a lot of our veterans, for a lot of our current public servants, our diplomats, our intel officers, you know, the police officers who literally defend in the Capitol on the day of January 6," she said, "it is an issue." Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, an officer who responded to the January 6 attacks and lives in the district, recently <a href="https://twitter.com/SergeantAqGo/status/1587168711806685184?s=20&amp;t=emWhcDBg8ILwzhnH445dWw">revealed on Twitter</a> that he backed Spanberger over Vega because of that issue. Kaine told Insider in a phone interview after the Woodbridge event that there was "no downside" for Spanberger to accept Cheney's endorsement, given that the congresswoman is "well-regarded by independents, and even by some Republicans." "I do think it will be close, but I think Abigail has run a very good campaign," said Kaine, pointing to her 2018 victory over <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2014/06/11/320841955/meet-david-brat-the-giant-killer-who-knocked-off-eric-cantor">"giant-killer" Republican Rep. Dave Brat</a> and pulling off a tight victory in 2020. "She's kind of a narrow race specialist, I have a lot of confidence in her." For Vega's part, there are signs that she hopes to downplay her association with the party's right flank. Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the event, Vega shrugged off questions about Trump and referred to herself in the third person. "Yesli Vega's on the ballot on Tuesday," she said. When asked by a reporter whether Trump's support may help her this year, Vega replied: "I couldn't really tell you one way or the other." Correction: November 7, 2022 — An earlier version of this story misquoted Sen. Tim Kaine. Kaine said Gov. Glenn Youngkin's coattails are about as far as his shoulder blades, not his shot.

Liz Cheney endorses Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who says she asked for the boost in her nail-biter race in Virginia

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Governor-elect <keyword id="11972415" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="glenn-youngkin" source="Orion">Glenn Youngkin</keyword>'s win in <keyword id="11918128" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="virginia" source="Orion">Virginia</keyword> ended 12 years of statewide electoral losses for the <keyword id="11917127" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gop" source="Orion">GOP</keyword>.</li><li>By focusing on <keyword id="11897808" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="education" source="Orion">education</keyword> and the <keyword id="11893570" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="economy" source="Orion">economy</keyword>, Youngkin, a political newcomer, set the narrative of the race.</li></ul>Glenn Youngkin became the first Republican since 2009 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-governor-election-terry-mcauliffe-vs-glenn-youngkin-live-results-2021-11">to win</a> a Virginia gubernatorial election when he bested former Democratic Gov. <keyword id="11972414" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="terry-mcauliffe" source="Orion">Terry McAuliffe</keyword> on Tuesday night. But the results were no surprise - and should set off alarm bells for Democrats going into the 2022 midterm elections. It wasn't just Youngkin who came out on top. Democrats faced a statewide rout, with Republican Winsome Sears <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-lt-governor-race-hala-ayala-vs-winsome-sears-results-2021-11">defeating</a> Democrat Hala Ayala in the lieutenant governor's election, Republican challenger Jason Miyares <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-attorney-general-election-mark-herring-jason-miyares-live-results-2021-11">knocking out</a> two-term Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring, and Democrats on track <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-house-of-delegates-elections-live-results-updates-2021-11">to potentially lose</a> their majority in the Virginia House of Delegates. President Joe Biden's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-approval-rating-polling-pandemic-response-independents-obama-comparison-2021-10">historically abysmal</a> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/biden-s-job-rating-sinks-42-percent-nbc-news-poll-n1282781">approval ratings</a> and the broader enthusiasm favoring the party out of power put the wind at Youngkin's back - and certainly didn't help McAuliffe's chances either. The results indicate that, if anything, Biden was more a drag on McAuliffe than former President <keyword id="11914386" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="donald-trump" source="Orion">Donald Trump</keyword> was on Youngkin. As of Wednesday morning, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-governor-election-terry-mcauliffe-vs-glenn-youngkin-live-results-2021-11">with an estimated 99% of the vote reporting</a>, Youngkin had won 51% of the vote statewide, a nearly 7-point improvement over<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-presidential-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020"> Trump's vote share</a> in 2020 while McAuliffe earned 49% of the vote, a 5-point underperformance of Biden's share. But this race wasn't entirely decided by the national environment. It was also a case of how much candidates' strategic choices, not to mention actual issues, matter. In his advertising towards the end of the campaign, McAuliffe chose to go all-in on making the race a referendum on Trump. The focus on the former president came, to a certain extent, at the expense of highlighting McAuliffe's own relatively recent record as governor or on the progressive policy accomplishments of the Democratic-controlled Virginia House of Delegates.While assuming full control of Virginia government for the first time in a generation, state Democrats <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/virginia-voting-rights-northam.html">overhauled voting in the Commonwealth</a> by instituting early voting and automatic voter registration for residents receiving a driver's license, while also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/437aadd764d7880db483deef81d79c1b">loosening restrictions</a> on abortion, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-death-penalty-criminal-justice-northam-2021-2">abolishing the death penalty</a>, and approving a series of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/us/virginia-democrats-new-laws.html">gun control measures</a>.However, McAuliffe didn't campaign heavily on building on these gains, which may have ramped up higher levels of engagement among younger and progressive voters.Youngkin, on the other hand, put just enough distance between himself and Trump so as not to alienate diehard MAGA voters in Southwest Virginia while also improving on the former president's performance in the suburbs and exurbs as McAuliffe underperformed Biden in those key counties.<div type="image" title="Virginia voters" height="683" width="1024" msid="87514959" hostid="261"></div><h2>Suburban erosion and a disciplined GOP message hurt Democrats</h2>In Loudoun County, an affluent jurisdiction in northern Virginia, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-pence-attacks-racist-public-education-in-virginia-before-election-2021-10">which became the nexus for the Republican effort</a> to push concerns about public education, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-governor-race-terry-mcauliffe-glenn-youngkin-biden-democrats-trump-2021-10">Democrats had steadily strengthened</a> their electoral performance over the last decade.Biden won Loudoun by 25 percentage points <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-presidential-election-2020-live-vote-counts-results-2020">just last November</a>, picking up 61.5% of the vote compared to Trump's 36.5%. But Youngkin was able to markedly improve on the former president's poor performance, trailing McAuliffe by a smaller 10.5% margin (55%-44.5%).In Chesterfield County, a Richmond suburb that had long been a Republican stronghold and where Biden won last fall by roughly 6 percentage points (52%-46%), Youngkin reverted the jurisdiction back to its GOP roots, winning by 5 percentage points (52%-47%).There was a similar story across the Commonwealth, where Democrats ceded many of the electoral gains that fueled their meteoric ascent in the last decade, and many of these areas, filled with small businesses and military families, were deeply concerned about the state of the economy.In defense-heavy Virginia Beach, where Republicans have dominated local <keyword id="11893346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics" source="Orion">politics</keyword> for decades, Democrats recently found success on the presidential and local levels. In 2017 and 2019, the party captured several critical seats in the House of Delegates that the GOP had long controlled, and Biden last year won the conservative-leaning city 52%-46%.However, Youngkin <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/11/02/us/elections/results-virginia.html">defeated</a> McAuliffe in Virginia Beach by a 54%-45% margin, and several competitive House races in the city <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-house-of-delegates-elections-live-results-updates-2021-11">have not been called</a> yet.Unlike McAuliffe, Youngkin chose to make concrete policy issues like education a key focus of his campaign. Ultimately, it was a winning message because Youngkin and his campaign were able to not only mobilize voters around education, but also successfully control the narrative defining the entire race. It didn't matter at the end of the day that critical race theory isn't taught in Virginia public schools or that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virginia-gop-ad-features-woman-who-wanted-to-ban-beloved-from-school-2021-10">his campaign put out an ad</a> featuring a woman who lobbied to have "Beloved" removed from her son's school's AP English curriculum. McAuliffe's main problem by the end of the election - other than being on the wrong side of an enthusiasm gap - was that the issues on which voters trusted him the most to handle, like the COVID-19 pandemic and abortion, had fallen to the wayside. Education and economy overtook those issues in importance and Youngkin had momentum there. In early September, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-governor-post-schar-poll/2021/09/17/11c4d042-164f-11ec-a5e5-ceecb895922f_story.html">a Washington Post-Schar School poll</a> of the governor's race found that 27% of Virginia voters listed the economy as the most important issue influencing their vote, 16% named COVID-19, 15% identified education, and 11% named abortion. But by<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/10/29/virginia-governors-race-poll/"> their poll conducted in late October</a>, 24% of voters listed education as their most important issue, followed by the economy at 23% and COVID-19 at 10%, with abortion, crime, and taxes in the single digits.By flipping the top issues in their favor, Republicans were able to eek out victories in the end, thwarting Democrats' political momentum.

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Republican Winsome Sears defeats Hala Ayala in Virginia lieutenant governor's race

Grace Panetta,Oma Seddiq

Two women vie to become the first female lieutenant governor in Virginia history

John L. Dorman

Incoming Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears said that disclosing her vaccination status is a 'slippery slope' that would lead to questions about what's in her DNA

Morgan Keith

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said his party 'blew the timing' on the infrastructure and social spending bills, contributing to the party's loss in VA governor race

Business Insider

Republican Jason Miyares defeats two-term Democrat Mark Herring for Virginia attorney general

Grace Panetta,Oma Seddiq

RESULTS: Virginia voters select Terry McAuliffe as the Democratic nominee for governor

Grace Panetta

Liz Cheney endorses Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who says she asked for the boost in her nail-biter race in Virginia

Bryan Metzger,Eliza Relman

Republican victories in Virginia show GOP candidates can win by focusing on schools and the economy - and without Trump

Grace Panetta,John L. Dorman

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