Virginians elected Republican Robert F. McDonnell the commonwealth's 71st governor Tuesday, sweeping the GOP to power and emphatically halting a decade of Democratic advances in the critical swing state.
The former state attorney general handily defeated Democratic state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds throughout the state. He apparently lost only narrowly even in Fairfax County, the state's most populous jurisdiction, which had delivered powerful Democratic majorities to President Obama and Govs. Timothy M. Kaine and Mark R. Warner. And McDonnell reversed the political order in the Washington region's outer suburbs, winning Loudoun and Prince William counties, which went for Kaine four years ago.
Boosted by a political mood shift that has left many voters cool to Democrats, McDonnell, 55, prevailed with a promise to create jobs in the down economy and fix the state's clogged roads without a tax increase. His campaign avoided the hot-button social issues that in recent elections had alienated voters in Northern Virginia and other urban centers. And he benefited from a lackluster Democratic opponent whom voters came to know in good part from a video clip in which he waffled and stammered when asked if he would raise taxes.
The vote marked the first time in 12 years that Republicans swept all statewide offices. In a year when Democrats had hoped to take control of the House of Delegates for the first time since 1999, Republicans instead expanded their majority by at least two seats. Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling easily won reelection and Fairfax Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II, one of the most socially conservative members of the Richmond legislature, will be the next attorney general.
In the end, all the stumping in the world from the President of the United States wasn't going to stop regime change in New Jersey's highest office.
Republican Chris Christie ended Democrat Jon Corzine's four-year run in Trenton with a narrow victory on Tuesday, CBS News projected. Independent Chris Daggett, thought of by many as the wildcard who could upset the order of things by siphoning off votes from Christie, finished well back.
With 5,138 of 6,305 precincts reporting, Christie led Corzine 49 percent to 44 percent.
Independent voters gave President Barack Obama a huge advantage in the state last year, but they heavily favored Christie on Tuesday.
Hoffman Results Thread: With Half the Vote in, Hoffman Trails 3%; 49-46%
Close, but see below: Drew says the upbeat mood from earlier is now replaced by a bad feeling, and Hoffman is merely splitting a county he'd thought he'd be winning 2:1.
Update: But exit polls say our man wins.
Bottom line: it's early. Virginia is the only place that appears to be ironclad; the others are still very much up in the air. Even after the votes are counted, it's only then that ACORN, the ACLU, and the lawyers get involved. It seems like the GOPers will have to win by more than about 3 points in any given race to be assured of victory. If, however, the GOP finishes strong...well, let's just say it's a very, very bad day for the Dems. If...
More updates when things become official.
There's my two cents.
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