Youngkin touts primary victories as he sets sights on Virginia elections
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared victory. Democrats regrouped at the Homestead. And an election denier denied her loss.
What's happening: Post-primary hot takes abound.
The big picture: Republicans largely went for more center-right candidates over GOP hardliners, as the AP's Sarah Rankin observed.
- Meanwhile Democrats ousted several of the party's more moderate members, Sens. Joe Morrissey, George Barker, Lionell Spruill and Chap Petersen.
What they're saying: Youngkin touted the fact that all 10 of the Republican primary candidates he endorsed won, which his political operation framed as a sign of strength in contrast to "constant Democratic infighting."
The other side: Top Democrats, speaking to reporters via Zoom from a fundraising retreat at the Homestead, brushed off the remarks.
- Sen. Scott Surovell accused Youngkin of only endorsing candidates who appeared likely to win while staying out of key races, such as the three-way contest that ousted controversial Sen. Amanda Chase.
- Democrats said the results highlight the party's diversity and demonstrate that abortion is still a major issue for voters.
Meanwhile, some losing GOP candidates were happy to broadcast their displeasure with their party and its leaders.
Del. Marie March blamed her loss to Del. Wren Williams on Youngkin and the "Richmond Swamp," per The Roanoke Times.
And in Chesterfield, Chase, one of Virginia's most vocal supporters of Trump's baseless election fraud claims, is now claiming she is also a victim of election fraud.
- But, as Virginia Mercury reporter Graham Moomaw noted, even if you subtract the early votes at the center of Chase's unsubstantiated fraud claims, Chase still would have lost to former state Sen. Glen Sturtevant.