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Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., Made gestures at an election party in Falls Church, Virginia, on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Kaine beat Republican Corey Stewart. (Steve Helber / AP)
Out:
Democrat Elaine Luria Beats Representative Scott W. Taylor in Virginia, Reversing GOP Fief
Luria, a first candidate, defeated Taylor (R), a former Navy SEAL member who represented the Virginia Beach area in the House of Delegates before making the jump to Congress two years ago. Taylor has been driven by accusations that his associates have forged signatures to help an independent candidate vote, hoping to give his boss an edge over his Democratic challenger.
Democrat Jennifer T. Wexton on Tuesday defeated Republican Barbara Comstock in the 10th district of Virginia, and Senator Tim Kaine easily won a second term against Republican challenger Corey A. Stewart.
Two other Democrats had a narrow hold on Republican elected officials, with more than 90 percent of press offices reported. Abigail Spanberger was about half a point ahead of representative Dave Brat in the 7th district of suburban Richmond and Elaine Luria had more than a percentage point ahead of representative Scott Taylor in the 2nd district at Hampton Roads.
Comstock failed to win a third term in a district that had been comfortably Republican for nearly 40 years. Wexton, a senator and former attorney, has accumulated large margins in the increasingly diverse suburbs of Loudoun County.
Kaine, a former popular governor and Hillary Clinton's vice-presidential candidate in 2016, deviated from Stewart, the Prince William County supervisor, who had promised a vicious campaign in the manner of President Trump.
National Democrats spent a lot of money defeating Comstock to regain control of the House of Representatives. Virginia put this strategy to the test, with an unusual number of polls and polls held in the United States, which were closed before many others across the country.
The Democrats had targeted four of the 11 seats in the Virginia Congress, and Wexton was leading Comstock in public polls for months. But the potential for two more collections in Richmond and Hampton Roads has made the Democrats dizzy.
"Virginia has shown who we are and who we are," said Kaine during the celebration of his victory at a Falls Church hotel, where Governor Ralph Northam, Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax, and the Governor General were joined. former governor Terry McAuliffe.
Kaine noted that other Democrats who had incumbents who were not replaced or who had late leads were all women. "It will be the Democrats who will eventually ensure that women are represented in all our legislative bodies," Kaine said.
The Republicans kept a free seat when Denver Riggleman defeated Democrat Leslie Cockburn in the 5th district near Charlottesville. But it was little comfort for some.
"I am a veteran of the blue wave of 2017. It is clear that the blue wave is still there," said John Whitbeck, former president of the Virginia GOP, referring to the democratic advances in the election of the "I". last year. "Republicans have to figure out how they will react. It is clear that this is not the case this time. I can not think of a better candidate and a better message than Barbara Comstock. We just have to find ways to be better than we have been in this climate. "
Stewart conceded his defeat shortly before 9 pm, while Kaine had a 10-point lead and many Democratic constituencies in northern Virginia, where there were significant votes, had not been counted yet.
"I do not regret anything we did," Stewart told a crowd of supporters, after calling Kaine to congratulate him. "We fought hard and we have a great president of the United States."
Riggleman – who won the vacant seat by Rep. Thomas Garrett, who announced that he was fighting alcoholism – said his campaign was showing a new project for Republicans in Virginia.
"We have proven that we can lead a campaign with class, integrity and dignity," said Riggleman at his victory party at a brewery in Afton. "I think we have proven that we can campaign on these issues. I think you see a new day, where we see a new type of civility in politics, coming out of this campaign in the 5th district. "
[[[[Live results page for mid-term elections in Virginia]
[Va-10 battleground poll]
WOODBRIDGE, VA – NOVEMBER 6: Corey Stewart, Republican Senate Senate nominee, delivers his concession speech at his evening observation post at the Harbor Grille in Woodbridge, Virginia on November 6, 2018. He was defeated by Senator Tim Kaine (D). (Calla Kessler / The Washington Post)
[[[[Tim Kaine: In advance in the polls, but as an outsider]
Elected representative Jennifer Wexton, a Democrat from Virginia, speaks at a night rally in Dulles, Virginia, United States, on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Wexton defeated Republican actress Barbara Comstock , evicting a Republican in a northern Virginia. district which was a priority target for Democrats in their efforts to regain the majority in the House. (Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg)
The turnout would have been high around the state – in some places it would have even competed with the years of the presidential election. Despite heavy rains in much of eastern and central Virginia, voters at some polling places waited up to two hours to be able to vote.
At 4:00 pm In the largest state jurisdiction, Fairfax County's turnout rate was estimated at 53.46%, including ballots. Three hours before the polls closed, this percentage was higher than the final participation percentages in 2014 (45.7%) and in 2010 (49.1%).
Mohammed Moutaouakil, 47, arrived at McLean High School shortly after 6 am "to see if everyone was excited like me," he said. Driving his enthusiasm: "Trump," said Moutaouakil, who voted Democrat in all areas.
"I do not agree with everything he's done so far, from immigration to tax policies," he said. "In two years, things have deteriorated dramatically."
But in the rural suburbs of Spotsylvania County, along Interstate 95 between Washington and Richmond, 61-year-old reading teacher Kim Mandzak was eager to vote for exactly the opposite reason.
[[[[In a northern district of Virginia, will Trump be enough for Democrats to overthrow Rep. Comstock?]
"We must save this country," said Mandzak, who voted against the threat of repression against elements that "drive us to think differently". Workers have seen jobs dry up and savings disappear, she said. as democrats "have abandoned our country and not challenged anyone".
Some voters also said that they voted with a sense of fatigue, tired of all the ads and endless emphasis on politics and division.
"The bottom line is it will not be on television tomorrow," said Karen Trent, 61, a retired Christmas tree farmer who was voting in Henrico County.
As the cities of Virginia became more prosperous and its suburbs spread out in an arc from Fairfax to Richmond via Hampton Roads, the former Red State became more competitive – sought by Democrats as a new source possible voice.
It was the only southern state to have chosen Hillary Clinton in 2016 – when Kaine, his former governor and senator, was his second.
[From JFK-loving Boy Scout to right-wing provocateur: What happened to Corey Stewart?]
Last year, in the first closely watched elections following Trump's surprising victory, the Democrats in Virginia virtually eliminated the long Republican majority in the General Assembly. This result gave the Democrats reason to believe they can gain ground this year – but also served as a wake-up call for Republican voters, who were less likely to go to the polls last year.
ASHBURN, VA – NOVEMBER 6: Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA) salutes her supporters after delivering her concession speech after losing to Senator Jennifer Wexton (D) in Virginia's 10th District at the Hilton Garden Inn Dulles on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, in Ashburn, Virginia. (Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post)
The main target of the Democrats this year was Comstock, whose run against Wexton was the most contested of Congresses in the state.
Tory Thomas, 71, of Langley High School in McLean, said that Mrs. Trump had motivated her to vote for Wexton and Kaine, in hopes of "restoring the country in a civil democracy ".
In 2nd District, Hampton Roads, the congressional congressional campaign committee targeted the first term of its representative, Scott Taylor, a former Navy SEAL member who had been involved in a scandal during the campaign. .
[[[[A Republican congressman helped a rival collect signatures – and many of them were fraudulent]
Several of his staff are currently under criminal investigation, accused of providing fraudulent signatures to help an independent candidate vote, apparently to dilute the votes for Luria.
Although the scandal hit the headlines at the end of the summer, it seemed to ease in the run – up to the elections. Tuesday morning at Hampton Roads, which has one of the highest concentrations of active and retired armies in the state, voters were divided over whether the scandal had affected their decisions.
NORFOLK, VA – NOVEMBER 6: Elaine Luria, a former naval commander and Democrat who defies the seal of the navy, Scott Taylor (R), salutes the voters' votes in front of Norfolk's 2nd Presbyterian Church, Virginia, November 6 2018. (Jim Morrison / FTWP)
Amy Lander, 43, a freelance teacher in Norfolk, said the wrongdoing had no effect on her support for Taylor. "I do not think it's for anything," she says. She voted Republican "because I am to keep the government small and reduce taxes. I do not like the socialist politics to which the Democratic Party is directed. I do not like them to make this illegal immigration such a problem. "
But for Eric Mitchell, 26, a student at Norfolk State University and a health worker, the scandal has cast a better light on Luria. "She seemed more honest than Scott Taylor with all this scandal. It's very important to me that something dubious is going on like this. I think you should confess it. I just did not think he was honest. "
Vice President Mike Pence, right, is campaigning with incumbent Republican Representative Scott Taylor, left, at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Wednesday, October 24, 2018. (Steve Earley / AP)
Outside of Richmond, turnout was high in the suburbs, where Spanberger, a former CIA member, launched a well-funded challenge to Republican President Dave Brat's defender in the 7th district.
[[[[In a miniature polarized Virginia district on America, Brat and Spanberger extend]
GLEN ALLEN, VIRGINIA – NOVEMBER 6: Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who challenges Representative Dave Brat (right) in the 7th Congressional District of Virginia, goes to a polling station with his daughters (LR) Charlotte, Claire and Catherine and her husband Adam (right) at Deep Run High School on November 6, 2018 in Glen Allen, Virginia. (Win Mcnamee / Getty Images)
Voters waited as long as two hours to vote at Robious Middle School in Chesterfield County, a suburb of Richmond, who could decide if Brat could stay at his seat.
When heavy rains and winds blew around noon, school officials let a line of voters move around the building. By late afternoon, the line was winding throughout the school.
"This is not normal," said Renita McKnight, Elections Officer, about voter turnout.
HENRICO COUNTY, VA – SEPTEMBER 28: At a public meeting for veterans, Congressman Dave Brat listens to veterans discussing their health care issues and dealings with the administration of veterans. Veterans. (Timothy C. Wright / For The Washington Post)
The Central Virginia riding also reported a strong participation in the 5th district race between Riggleman and Cockburn.
[[[[Rep. Garrett announces that he is an alcoholic and that he will not seek re-election]
The electors of Grace Church in Lynchburg, flanked by linear shopping centers located between the left-wing city and the more conservative countryside, reflected the great division of the rest of the state.
"I have been Republican since the beginning," said Marvin Mandeville, 85, speaking through a respirator after pneumonia. He said he was a strong supporter of Trump: "He's an American. It's for Americans. "
Immigration was a big problem for Mandeville – as for Erica Cobbs, 41, who voted in the same polling place for the Democratic ticket.
Cobbs said she appreciated Kaine's position on immigration, which was aimed more at helping immigrants comply with the law. And she does not like Trump's harshness, claiming that she teaches children in her church daycare not to speak like the president.
"We love each other, we are one." That's what we teach, but then you have someone at the office who teaches it anti-It bugs me, "Cobbs said.
National Democrats have been following Virginia's numbers closely to find clues as to whether this message has made its way.
"We always thought that Virginia was very, very important to the battlefield and our ability to take back the House," said Dan Sena, executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Shortly after Trump took office, the DCCC sent organizers to 21 of the most vulnerable districts, including those represented by Comstock and Taylor.
Virginia has had four "key races" this year. Winning two would be a "good night's sleep," Sena said. At the national level, the party experienced a surge of enthusiasm among communities of color and the suburbs, which manifested itself in the districts of Comstock, Taylor and Brat.
Some campaigns were sophisticated enough to quickly fight Republican attacks, Sena said. Spanberger used the Congressional Leadership Fund's "Terror High" announcement to portray Brat in a desperate state. Wexton refuted Congressional Republican National Committee announcements describing her as a proponent of toll increases with images of the candidate calling the tolls "brigandage".
In Taylor District, the DCCC quickly seized the signature scandal as dangerous, warning voters to "stay alert: Congressman Scott Taylor is still on the run."
Jenna Portnoy, Laura Vozzella, Antonio Olivo, Jim Morrison, Michael Brice-Saddler, Steve Thompson, Mark Ferguson, John Harden and Hawes Spencer contributed to the writing of this report.
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