Democrats sweep in Virginia, New Jersey
Baku, November 8, AZERTAC
Democrats have won key races in Virginia and New Jersey, CNN projects, their first major wins during the tenure of President Donald Trump and a boost heading into the 2018 midterms, when control of US House and Senate will be up for grabs, according to CNN.
The blue wave along the East Coast saw Ralph Northam winning the governor's race in Virginia and Phil Murphy victorious in New Jersey. Democrats are also on pace to capture control of the Virginia General Assembly, and several liberals, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio won their mayoral elections.
Virginia's gubernatorial contest was the first major test of Democrats' ability to rebound after Trump's victory. The fundamentals of the state were in their favor: Under Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, unemployment is lower than the national average, and voters have generally told pollsters that they see the commonwealth as on the right track while the nation is on the wrong track.
Northam's victory over GOP lobbyist and former George W. Bush aide Ed Gillespie -- clinched much earlier than nervous Democrats had expected -- left party leaders jubilant about their chances in the 2018 midterm elections, particularly in heavily suburban, Republican-held House districts that look much like the northern Virginia suburbs.
Gillespie distanced himself from Trump personally, but embraced much of the President's agenda, including a focus on illegal immigration and sanctuary cities. Gillespie also echoed Trump's calls to keep Confederate monuments in place and invoked NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.
But Trump immediately disavowed the GOP candidate Tuesday night even as votes were still being counted.
"Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for. Don't forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!" Trump tweeted.
Democrats also made significant down-ballot gains in Virginia. Justin Fairfax won the lieutenant governor's against Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel, a state senator known for her sponsorship of a 2012 bill that would have required women seeking abortions to undergo vaginal ultrasounds. Social issues were prominent in another statewide race, where Democratic attorney general Mark Herring defeated Republican challenger John Adams, who has hit Herring for his refusal to defend Virginia's same-sex marriage ban in court.
And Chris Hurst, whose girlfriend Alison Parker was the Virginia TV reporter killed on live television in 2015, won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
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