Democrats claimed big victories in races up and down the ballot and across the country and even the most optimistic party stalwarts were surprised. Republicans lost races for the governorship in Virginia and New Jersey, and control of the Washington state Senate.
“This is not a wave. This is a tsunami. This is a huge, huge sea change here in Virginia,” David Toscano, leader of the Democratic caucus, told The Hill.
Democrat Ralph Northam was elected governor of Virginia by a margin that was wider than expected, while Democrat Justin Fairfax won the Lieutenant governor’s office. He became the second African American who has won a statewide post in Virginia since Reconstruction. At the same time, Attorney General Mark Herring, also a Democrat, was re-elected.
Meanwhile, Phil Murphy cemented the Democratic control of New Jersey. He is now replacing Governor Chris Christie (R). Democrat Manka Dhingra from Washington headed for victory in a special election to fill an open state Senate seat. Democrats would control all the levels of government in the Evergreen State if Dhingra wins.
Democrats managed to win at least 14 seats in Virginia’s House of Delegates and at least two seats in New Jersey’s state Senate, as well as a seat in New Hampshire’s state House. In Georgia, Democrats celebrated winning two deep red districts.
Democrats had success with the local elections too. Their strategists said that the candidates knew how to tie the Republican candidates to President Donald Trump through his unpopular policies, while some Republicans said they had more to learn about running for and winning office with Trump as a president.
“I don’t know how you get around that this wasn’t a referendum on the administration, I just don’t. Some of the very divisive rhetoric helped prompted and usher in a really high Democratic turnout in Virginia. We need to have some looking in the mirror,” Representative Scott Taylor (R-Va.) told The Hill.
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