Murphy barely wins in NJ while Youngkin upsets in Virginia

By WILL WEISSERT and SARAH RANKIN
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey narrowly won reelection in his reliably blue state while a Republican political newcomer delivered a stunning upset in the Virginia governor’s race. That’s sending a warning to Democrats that their grip on power in Washington may be in peril. In Virginia, Glenn Youngkin became the first Republican to win statewide office in a dozen years, uniting former President Donald Trump’s most fervent supporters with enough suburban voters to notch a victory. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Murphy won after Jack Ciattarelli mounted a surprisingly strong campaign on issues including taxes and opposition to pandemic mask and vaccination mandates.