Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin outperformed Donald Trump in every single Virginia county as of Wednesday evening — and won 12 counties that had voted for President Biden just a year ago.
Why it matters: Tuesday was a slam dunk for the former college basketball player and his party. Republicans also are projected to win the lieutenant governorship and are leading the balloting for attorney general and control of the House of Delegates.
By the numbers: The college-town county of Radford swung more than any other, moving from Biden +9 to Youngkin +9.
- While former President Trump solidly won Charlotte County in 2020, Youngkin outperformed him by 17 points — the second-largest county swing.
- Tied for third was Emporia County, where McAuliffe maintained a healthy margin of 20% — but Biden won the county by 36% in 2020.
The big picture: The results indicate Youngkin's Trump-Lite playbook worked.
- McAuliffe's last-minute push to link his opponent to the former president fell flat.