Northern Virginia powers the state's big blue wave
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Virginia's blue wave moved nearly every county to the left this week.
Why it matters: In a state shaken up by federal job cuts, the Democratic wins offer a rebuke to President Trump's first nine months in office.
The big picture: Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger — who campaigned on affordability — made big gains in Northern Virginia counties where President Trump did better than expected last year.
- Places like Loudoun County — fast-growing, techy and reliant on the federal spending — swung 13 points toward Spanberger, compared with Trump vs. Harris.
- Slightly farther south, Manassas Park — where nearly half the population is Latino — was the state's biggest shift (+22 to Dems).
- The enthusiasm for Spanberger in counties like Prince Williams (+16), Manassas (+16) and Fairfax (+12) also may have lifted Democrat Jay Jones, who overcame a text message scandal to become attorney general. He captured a 6-point win overall.
Zoom in: Spanberger's 15-point win — nearly triple former Vice President Kamala Harris' margin last year — reflected strong Democratic support from Black women, Latinas and federal workers.
- A majority of white women also voted for Spanberger, per the poll. It's a reversal from 2021, when exit polling showed most white women backed Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Between the lines: Those shifts helped Democrats overcome GOP advantages with older white men and rural voters.
- Spanberger, who devoted time to campaign in rural areas, gained several percentage points in many deep-red counties.
- Only five of Virginia's 133 localities shifted to the right.