Be sure to read Audrey’s Election Day report from Virginia, “Glenn Youngkin’s Midterm Test.” Every seat in the state legislature is up for grabs today, which gives Republicans a chance to take control of the state senate and give Governor Glenn Youngkin a GOP trifecta. Youngkin knows how important that is and has been campaigning hard for months.

“How do you win elections? Get more votes than the other guy,” Youngkin told a crowd of supporters. Sounds obvious, but plenty of Republicans don’t seem to believe that in the era of Donald Trump. Constantly telling voters elections are rigged and early voting is illegitimate does not encourage your side to turn out. Youngkin, in constrast, has been using the campaign to run a massive get-out-the-vote effort, encouraging Republicans to vote early to make sure their ballot is cast.

“Republicans are messaging heavily on job growth, tax relief, public safety, and of course, parental involvement in K-12 schools,” Audrey writes. Your eyes don’t deceive you: Republicans are running an election campaign about policy issues that matter to voters. They’re focusing on areas where they have the advantage over Democrats. That includes the old standbys of the economy and law and order, but also Republicans’ relatively new advantage on education.

In some senses, Republicans face an uphill climb. Democrats have pushed hard on the abortion issue, as Audrey notes. Youngkin has not been extreme on the issue, supporting a 15-week ban, but that doesn’t stop Democrats from calling him an extremist, and voters elsewhere have bought that message in the past. Republicans have also been outspent by Democrats, who have placed lots of national focus on the campaign.

It sure would be nice to see Republicans perform well tonight by encouraging voters to turn out for a positive conservative agenda. Other circumstances might overwhelm Youngkin’s efforts, but he has run the type of campaign that conservatives should want to see from effective GOP leaders.