RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — As voting closed across Virginia on Tuesday, the number of votes quickly dwindled. It became clear It was the first night. Voters overwhelmingly elected candidates who break down racial and gender barriers in what is considered the most important nationally important contest.
Virginia Republicans also picked up a historically diverse statewide ticket that would set records.
The results will come as President Donald Trump says. his opposite Initiatives for diversity his cornerstone platform, dissolution of the federation A civil rights program that seeks to correct a complicated history of racial discrimination. He justified those moves by saying racial and gender equality program overcorrect past mistakes and stir up anti-American sentiment – a position shared by many conservatives across the country.
Still, Virginia’s election results parallel the high-profile Democratic Party Victory Across the country, there are questions about whether Mr. Trump’s firm positions on race, gender and sexual identity resonate with voters.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for news and AP updates.
continue
First female governor of Virginia
Democrat Abigail Spanberger won Tuesday’s Virginia gubernatorial election, giving the party a key victory ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and making history as the first female federal leader. her victory It was decisivereceived approximately 57% of the votes.
Regardless of who came out on top, this campaign was set to make history. Spanberger will face Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle Sears, marking the first time that two women are the front-runners in the gubernatorial race.
In her acceptance speech, Spanberger recalled her husband telling their three daughters, “Your mom is going to be governor of Virginia.”
“And I can tell you these words have never been said in Virginia,” she said with a smile.
Spanberger said her victory means Virginians have chosen “pragmatism over partisanship” and “leadership that focuses on problem solving rather than divisiveness.”
First Muslim woman elected statewide
Democrat Ghazala Hashmi defeated Republican John Reed in the lieutenant governor’s race, becoming the first Indian-American woman to hold a statewide office in Virginia. She is also the first Muslim woman to win a statewide election in the United States.
This is not the first time this has happened to Hashmi. She was the first Muslim woman elected to the Virginia State Senate five years ago. Hashmi, an Indian-born former English professor, said at the time that President Trump’s opposition was: muslim ban This led to her entering the political world.
This time, her campaign for lieutenant governor focused less on her identity and more on important issues such as health and education. Still, some say her identity was an important part of the race. Reed recently photographed to social media To connect Hashmi with Zoran Mandani, first muslim He was elected mayor of New York despite notable differences in platform, nationality and age, a comparison that critics said was Islamophobic.
Like the gubernatorial election, the lieutenant governor race would have been historic either way. Mr. Reed was the first openly gay man appointed to a statewide office in Virginia, and faced hurdles related to his sexuality in the process. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked him. leave a ticket Mr Reid said he felt betrayed at the time after an opposition investigation linked him to a social media account containing sexually explicit photos of men.
In his victory speech, Hashmi said his candidacy reflected the progress of the state and the nation.
“My own journey — from a young child landing at an airport in Savannah, Georgia, to now being elected as the first Muslim woman to hold statewide office in Virginia and across the nation — has only been possible because of the depth and breadth of opportunities available in this country and this Commonwealth.”
Son of civil rights pioneer becomes attorney general
Democrat Jay Jones defeated the republican party Incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares is the first black person to be elected as the top prosecutor in the former Confederate capital.
Jones, a former Virginia state representative, comes from a lineage of racial justice pioneers, a fact he emphasized during his campaign and after his victory.
“My ancestors were slaves. My grandfather was a pioneer in the civil rights movement who bravely stood up against Jim Crow,” Jones said Tuesday. “My mother, uncle, and aunt endured racism so that I could stand before you today.”
That said, Jones’ victory is tantamount to a referendum on dissatisfaction with Congress. government shutdown and President Trump’s mass layoffsVirginia has been particularly hard hit because of its high concentration of federal workers.
Since Democrat Jimmy Carter won the White House in 1976, every time a new president is elected, Virginians have voted for the following year’s governor from the opposition party.
Jones’ victory comes as Miyares, elected in 2021, becomes the first Latino to hold a statewide office in Virginia.
