11 thoughts after Republicans’ big night in Virginia and New Jersey – By Nathan L.Gonzales (Roll Call) / Nov 3 2021
Replicating what Youngkin did won’t be easy for GOP
ANALYSIS — Even though the Virginia gubernatorial race is just one race in one state (OK, commonwealth), Republican Glenn Youngkin’s victory will reverberate around the country and set the early stage for the 2022 midterm elections.
Considering the next big Election Day is a year away, there will be plenty of time to digest the results from Virginia, New Jersey and elsewhere. But here are a few initial takeaways.
The Democratic majorities were at risk before the Virginia result, and they’re at risk after Virginia
This would have been a main point even if Democrat Terry McAuliffe had pulled out a narrow win. Democrats have narrow majorities in the House and the Senate, and midterm elections are typically poor for the president’s party. That strong historical trend, combined with President Joe Biden’s slumping job rating, is a recipe for a good (or great) GOP year in 2022, no matter what happened this week.
