Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin, left, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe were engaged in a tight race for governor Tuesday night in Virginia. | File photos
Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin, left, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe were engaged in a tight race for governor Tuesday night in Virginia. | File photos
The outcome of the Virginia governor's race remains undecided as Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin are engaged in a tight race.
With 96% of precincts reporting, Youngkin led with 51% of the votes at press time. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, the state reports 5.6 million active registered voters as of Nov. 1.
Absentee ballots may be accepted until noon on Nov. 5. Results will be certified Nov. 15.
A report by CNBC states Youngkin has gained a bigger-than-expected wave of support lately. His win would mark the first Republican victory in the last decade. A critical aspect to Youngkin’s campaign includes a promise to ban the teaching of critical race theory in Virginia, contributing to his recent poll success.
Larry Sabato, an expert in politics at the University of Virginia, claims the wave of support for the candidate also stems widely from white voters attempting to reverse the direction the nation took since Joe Biden became president, CNBC reports.
While the race was initially anticipated to be an easy Democratic win, polls show the two candidates neck-and-neck. In the 2020 presidential election, President Biden won the state by 10 percentage points.
This could be the second time McAuliffe is elected as governor of Virginia.
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