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In reply to the discussion: In blow to Democrats, Republican Youngkin wins Virginia governor's race, NBC News projects [View all]SouthBayDem
(32,020 posts)In 2008, Obama won 52% of the vote in Virginia. But in 2009, Bob McDonnell (R) defeated Creigh Deeds (D) for governor with 58% of the vote.
Barring a miracle, Youngkin will finish with around 51% - a rather slim majority compared to George Allen getting 58% in '93, Jim Gilmore getting 56% in '97, and McDonnell's 58% in '09.
Virginia's tradition of swing voting date back to the '50s. For much of its early history Virginia had Democrats dominate its state politics in lockstep with the rest of the South. But from 1952 to 2004 the Republican won all but one presidential election there - the lone exception being LBJ's 1964 landslide. Yet Virginia still elected Democrats in most gubernatorial elections (except 1969, 1973, 1977, 1993, 1997). By 1972, Virginia elected its first post-Reconstruction Republican to the Senate in William L. Scott; Republican John Warner would succeed him and hold that seat for near 30 years before current Senator Mark Warner (a Democrat and no relation).
I don't know how many people in the media bothered looking up "political party strength in Virginia". What irks me about the news media is its lack of serious, long term thinking.