


Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) shared his disappointment with Tuesday night's election results, which saw the House of Delegates flip to Democratic control while Democrats maintained control of the Virginia Senate.
“I’m a little disappointed, to be clear,” Youngkin told reporters at the state's Capitol steps in Richmond on Wednesday.
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The legislative power shift in Virginia will hamper the governor's ambitious agenda for the commonwealth.
"I think the No. 1 lesson is that Virginia is really purple and that going into these elections, we knew that they were going to be tough," Youngkin added.
Youngkin's Spirit of America group spent millions to encourage early voting and absentee ballots ahead of the election.
"After reviewing the nearly complete results of the 2023 General Assembly elections, it is clear we did not meet our goals. At this time, it appears that Republicans will win 49 seats in the House and 19 seats in the Senate, a one-seat pickup. Despite redistricting, difficult odds from the outset, and an onslaught of Democratic spending in excess of at least $50 million, Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC contributed to these races in an unprecedented way, providing a roadmap for Republican success even in competitive or difficult environments like Virginia," Spirit of Virginia Chairman Dave Rexrode said Wednesday.
Rexrode shared that the results of the Virginia election showed some interesting upsides, including where the GOP had wins.
Republicans won 13 districts President Biden won in 2020.
— Dave Rexrode (@DRexrode) November 8, 2023
Republicans won seven districts where the Congressional Democratic candidate won in 2022.
4/17 pic.twitter.com/PlyjLTGho4
"Republicans won 13 districts President Biden won in 2020. Republicans won seven districts where the Congressional Democratic candidate won in 2022," he said. "Republicans came 1,919 votes short in a district carried by President Biden, former Governor McAuliffe, and Congresswoman Wexton from winning control of the state Senate."
Rexrode added, "In a state President Biden carried by 10 points, Republicans came within just a few thousand votes of winning majorities in both legislative chambers."
Despite the tight election, some political analysts wrote off the loss of the Virginia legislature as squashing any presidential ambitions for Youngkin.
“I don’t think 2024 is really in the picture for Gov. Youngkin anymore,” University of Maryland politics professor David Karol said Wednesday.
Rexrode concluded that the election results and slimming of Democratic margins in certain areas showed the governor's popularity remains in his state.
"By all measures Virginians remain overwhelmingly supportive of the governor personally, and the job he is doing as Governor. That work will continue," he said.
Virginia GOP House Speaker Todd Gilbert reacted to the loss of the Republican majority.
"While Tuesday’s outcome isn’t what we had hoped, I am still grateful for the hard work and dedication our candidates and their teams put in over the past two years," he said in a statement. "In the end, our focus on better schools, safer communities, and lowering the cost of living couldn’t overcome a dishonest Democratic focus on a lone issue."
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"Now, our Republican caucus will again assume the role of the loyal opposition, working with Governor Youngkin to hold the line against the worst left-wing impulses of the incoming Democratic majority, and ensure that common-sense ideas aren’t forgotten," Gilbert added. "I want to thank the multitude of people who have worked tirelessly over the past two years to build a better and brighter future for our Commonwealth."
"There's nothing shocking here. Disappointing yes. We had Republicans try to win districts that Joe Biden won. I think we have to be more aggressive," former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said Wednesday on WMAL while reacting to the election.