Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears to become Virginia's next governor, capitalizing on President Donald Trump's unpopularity.

Richmond, Va. — As the polls closed on Tuesday across Virginia, it quickly became clear it was a night of firsts: Voters overwhelmingly elected a slate of candidates who broke race and gender barriers in contests considered among the most consequential nationally.

Northern Virginia accounted for about 88% of Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s victory margin on Tuesday, according to preliminary election results analyzed by InsideNoVa. In the region’s four

In 2021, Republican Glenn Youngkin narrowly defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe, winning 50.6 percent of the vote to McAuliffe’s 48.6 percent. His victory ended nearly a decade of Democratic control in Richmond and underscored the state’s potential to swing between the parties.

WDBJ7 Political Analyst Bob Denton said early voting is growing across the Commonwealth with both parties now embracing the practice.

Election results in Virginia are coming in for House of Delegates races, with Democrats retaining key seats in Northern Virginia and flipping others.

Former Representative Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, defeated Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican, in Virginia’s gubernatorial race, bringing the governorship back into Democratic control. Both CNN and NBC called the race just before 8 p.m. ET.

Election results will roll in at different times tonight and into tomorrow as key races unfold across the country. Why it matters: Tuesday night's elections are expected to be a referendum on President Trump's first few months in office and a potential sign of what's to come in the 2026 midterms.