Democrats win Va., N.J. governor races
Results mark major win for Democrats, could set tone for 2018 elections
WASHINGTON – Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam won the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, according to the Associated Press, beating GOP candidate Ed Gillespie in the first competitive statewide election since President Trump’s election.
The election marks a major win for Democrats who were badly in need of a rebound after the 2016 presidential election and looked to the Virginia race as a referendum on Trump’s policies.
In New Jersey, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy beat Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, as expected, after leading by an average of 14.4 points in the run-up to Election Day.
The Virginia race had been much closer, with Northam leading Gillespie, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, by 3.3 points, according to Real-Clear-Politics average of recent polls.
Both parties poured money and staff into the Virginia election, which was seen as a potential bellwether for Trump’s impact on mid-term elections across the country next year. Democrats seeking to link Gillespie to Trump cast the election as a chance to stand up to “Trump, Gillespie and hate.”
Trump, who is traveling in South Korea, quickly weighed in on the results, distancing himself from the race.
“Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for,” he tweeted. “Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!”
Northam, 58, a pediatric neurologist and former Army physician, told reporters after voting in Norfolk that he was confident it will be “a good day for Democrats.” He said Virginians want a leader who will stand up to “the detrimental policies” in Washington while pushing for good jobs, access to education, affordable health care and an “inclusive Virginia.”
After the race was called, Northam tweeted, “Tonight we proved that we’re stronger when we value and fight for one another. Onward to Richmond!”
Gillespie, a former lobbyist who also served as counselor to George W. Bush, predicted on Fox News on Tuesday that Northam’s attacks on Trump “in the most vicious, personal terms” won’t help Virginians if he wins, he said.