GOP sweeps statewide races with 2 down-ballot wins

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Virginia Republicans have completed a sweep of down-ballot statewide offices with victories for lieutenant governor and attorney general. The wins echoed the Democrats’ defeat in the race for governor, and marked a dramatic turnaround in a state where the GOP had not won a statewide race since 2009. In the lieutenant governor’s race, Republican Winsome Sears defeated Democrat Hala Ayala. Sears becomes the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor and the first woman of color to hold statewide office. In the attorney general’s race, Republican Jason Miyares defeated the Democratic incumbent, Mark Herring, who was running for a third term. Both Ayala and Herring conceded Wednesday.