Virginia's down-ballot: Democrats slightly trailing GOP

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Candidates for Virginia’s statewide down-ballot offices were engaged successful choky races aboriginal Wednesday, with the Democrats somewhat trailing their GOP rivals. The races were excessively aboriginal to call.

In the lieutenant governor’s race, voters chose betwixt 2 women for a station that has been held by men for arsenic agelong arsenic the authorities has existed. Democrat Hala Ayala, a delegate from Woodbridge, faced Republican Winsome Sears, who served successful the legislature for a azygous word 2 decades agone and was attempting a governmental comeback. Either besides would beryllium the archetypal pistillate of colour to beryllium elected to statewide bureau successful Virginia.

The victor volition win Democrat Justin Fairfax, who unsuccessfully ran for governor. The marquee predetermination Tuesday was the gubernatorial race, which Republican campaigner Glenn Youngkin won, defeating erstwhile Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

While the AP did not telephone the down-ballot races, Republicans were claiming victories successful both. Sears stood with her household successful beforehand of cheering supporters astatine a triumph enactment successful Chantilly, saying, “What you are looking astatine is the American Dream.”

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Ayala did not concede decision aboriginal Wednesday morning.

For lawyer general, Democrat Mark Herring was seeking a 3rd word against Republican Jason Miyares, a delegate from Virginia Beach. Herring would beryllium the archetypal lawyer wide to triumph a 3rd word since World War II.

Miyares, the lad of a Cuban immigrant, besides declared triumph aboriginal Wednesday, saying helium is present the archetypal Latino to beryllium elected statewide successful Virginia.

“I can't hold to spell to enactment with Governor Youngkin and Lieutenant Governor Sears for you,” Miyares said.

Herring had not conceded decision aboriginal Wednesday morning.

Tuesday night, astatine a Republican enactment attended by some Youngkin and Sears, supporters were upbeat, singing, waving signs and starting to dance. While the ticker enactment had yet to erupt successful a triumph celebration, determination was capable measurement and question to marque the level of the second-floor ballroom shingle occasionally.

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Democrats, connected the different hand, cleared retired rapidly from a associated enactment with statewide candidates aft McAuliffe made an quality and simply stated that votes inactive remained to beryllium counted without claiming triumph oregon conceding defeat.

Jurisdictions passim the authorities reported precocious turnout, with astir 3.3 cardinal ballots tallied by 3 a.m. Wednesday. That greatly exceeded the 2.6 cardinal ballots formed successful the past gubernatorial predetermination successful 2017, which itself was a precocious turnout year. The turnout successful 2017 was successful portion a backlash to Donald Trump’s 2016 election. Democrats swept each 3 statewide elections successful 2017.

Republicans person struggled successful Virginia implicit the past decade — Democrats person won each statewide predetermination since 2009. But each 3 Republican candidates this twelvemonth are threatening to interruption that streak.

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Both the lawyer wide and the lieutenant politician posts person served arsenic launching pads to the governor's mansion. Half of the past 10 lieutenant governors successful Virginia person gone connected to beryllium governor. The erstwhile 9 elected attorneys wide each ran for governor.

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Associated Press writers Brian Witte successful Chantilly, Virginia, and Alexandra Jaffe successful McLean, Virginia, contributed to this report.

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