"'Biden Midterm Evaluation' Republican Victory in Virginia Governor Election (Update)"

Biden Administration Hit Ahead of Next Year's Midterm Elections

Glenn Youngkin, Republican candidate for Governor of Virginia
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Local media have predicted that the Republican candidate will win the Virginia gubernatorial election, which is seen as a midterm evaluation of the Joe Biden administration.

On the 2nd (local time), NBC and CNN reported that Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin was predicted to have defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the Virginia governor's race.

With about 97% of the votes counted, Youngkin holds 50.97% of the vote share, while McAuliffe trails with 48.34%. CNN reported, based on internal analysis, that Youngkin is expected to win.

If the counting results confirm the prediction, Youngkin, a former private equity CEO, will have defeated the Democratic candidate to win in Virginia.

This election was conducted as a proxy battle between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

In particular, with the Democrats losing in Virginia, a key battleground state ahead of next year's midterm elections for all House members and one-third of the Senate, there are assessments that the Biden administration is facing an emergency.

On the other hand, former President Trump, who has strongly hinted at a 2024 presidential election rematch, has reaffirmed his presence. The Republican Party also gained momentum to expand its support base based on this election result.

This election was the first major local election held since President Biden took office.

In last year's presidential election, President Biden won by a 10 percentage point margin over former President Trump in Virginia. However, this gubernatorial race turned into a very close contest. Analysts suggest that the decline in President Biden's approval ratings also affected the election.

So far, Youngkin has secured stable support within the Republican Party through former President Trump's endorsement while maintaining an appropriate distance, targeting the expansion of votes among independents who are fatigued by Trump-style politics.

Terry McAuliffe, Democratic candidate for Governor of Virginia [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

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