EXPLAINER: Why AP called Virginia for Youngkin

By BRIAN SLODYSKO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats became the dominant political force in Virginia over the past decade, but their grip was weakened in Tuesday’s gubernatorial election. The Associated Press declared Republican Glenn Youngkin the winner over Democrat Terry McAuliffe at 12:37 a.m. Wednesday. The AP called the race because Youngkin led McAuliffe by about 85,000 votes early Wednesday and there were not enough outstanding ballots left to be counted for McAuliffe to overtake his lead. It’s an surprising outcome in a state President Joe Biden carried last year by 10 percentage points, a showing that built on Hillary Clinton’s more than 5 percentage point win in 2016.