Despite being an “off-year,” there are literally hundreds of elections happening today across the country. Mostly local elections, like school boards, town clerks, and state legislature seats, to name a few. If you want to see just how many local races there are, check out this page from Ballotpedia which lists all the ways citizens are engaged during these “off-year” elections.
Live Results: Virginia Election Results
The big races being closely watched are happening in Virginia and New Jersey where voters are selecting statewide offices for Governor, among other statewide seats. New York City also has a mayoral race that will be decided as well.
New Jersey
Here’s a short rundown on what’s happening today in the Garden State:
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday is trying to become the first Democratic governor in more than four decades to win reelection in the Garden State, which has trended reliably blue in federal and local contests but has a history — like Virginia — of voting in the party out of the White House in its off-year gubernatorial races.
Murphy’s lead over Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli in a number of late polls appears to be at or near double digits, giving Democrats confidence about the outcome and shifting some focus to the eventual margin — and what it could portend for next year’s midterm elections.
For a time, it looked like Republicans might have a slight chance in New Jersey, but it looks like Phil Murphy, the Democrat incumbent, will be able to hold on despite a massive uptick for Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli. Murphy maintains a healthy lead in the RealClearPolitics polling average.
Virginia
Results: 2021 Virginia Election Results
The Virginia races may go down the wire, depending on turnout and enthusiasm. It’s entirely possible to see either candidate with a last-minute surge, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe remains in striking distance according to most polls. All the momentum, however, seems to be with Republican Glenn Youngkin, who closed out his campaign in the heart of Loudoun County, Virginia, with a massive campaign rally focused on parental rights in education. Loudoun County, if you recall, has been the global epicenter it seems for a school board run amok, ignoring parents, and literally covering up instances of sexual assault to drive a political agenda in the district.
Terry McAuliffe, on Monday, canceled an event on the Virginia Beach area to head back up to Fairfax County, a blue part of the state outside Washington, DC, to do more campaigning in an area he needs to drive up his numbers. Youngkin held all his events on Monday, including a large Virginia Beach crowd.
McAuliffe, with nothing left to campaign on, took to literally making things up on Monday about a non-existent Youngkin-Trump campaign event that never happened, nor was ever scheduled to happen:
“Guess how Glenn Youngkin is finishing his campaign?” McAuliffe told a modest crowd outside a Fairfax brewery Monday night at his final rally. “He is doing an event with Donald Trump here in Virginia.”
That was a lie. Trump wasn’t in Virginia and he never campaigned with Youngkin, though he did make the case for the GOP candidate — “fantastic guy!” — during a brief “tele-rally.”
Thirty miles away, at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds, a crowd several times the size of McAuliffe’s was waiting for Youngkin to take the stage. You got a hint of why McAuliffe was desperate to manufacture the fake Trump event. While McAuliffe has boundless energy — “Sleep when you’re dead!” he likes to say — his Monday audiences in Richmond and Fairfax, where we caught up with him, were modest and listless.
Youngkin’s Election Eve rally could’ve been compared to a Trump rally, the energy and crowd were over the top. Youngkin was also joined by three former Virginia Governors. Jim Gilmore, George Allen, and Bob McDonnell were all on hand standing behind the stage in support of Youngkin’s bid. Apparently, the trio had been campaigning with Youngkin all over the state on Monday.
Former Rep. Frank Wolf, at a spry age 82, took the stage to warm up the crowd for Youngkin. Wolf served in Virginia’s 10th congressional district from 1980 to his retirement in 2015. Wolf has been a fixture in northern Virginia politics for 35 years. His presence was noteworthy.
This video, courtesy of Guy Benson, was taken about an hour before Youngkin finally made it to the event due to traffic delays:
Here to get a vibe check at the @GlennYoungkin rally in Loudoun County. There are hundreds of cars trying to get in. Standstill traffic winding through back roads. These are the people here so far: pic.twitter.com/rffELYwbUC
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 2, 2021
More video of the event:
Youngkin’s final campaign rally is underway in Loudoun County. He says “America is watching” the Virginia election pic.twitter.com/zCFuq1mBAB
— Logan Ratick (@Logan_Ratick) November 2, 2021
Meanwhile, in Fairfax County next door, McAuliffe spoke to a “moderate” crowd and told lies about his opponent:
Terry McAuliffe holds an election eve rally in Fairfax, Virginia on November 1, 2021 pic.twitter.com/0fXZxaiDld
— Kyle Mazza (@KyleMazzaWUNF) November 2, 2021
It may end up being a nail-biter tonight given that Virginia went for Joe Biden by 10 points in 2020, and has trended blue for a decade. However, if history holds, Republicans are slated to take back the state from the party that previously won the White House.
This page may be updated throughout election day.
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