In just a couple of months, three new statewide leaders will take office in Virginia.
Tuesday’s election marks the end of a long and very expensive election cycle in the commonwealth, and the start of an interesting new era for Virginians — and anyone who pays attention to the news these days.
Here are four top takeaways.
1. Words still matter
The violent texts now-Attorney-General-elect Jay Jones sent three years ago, which became public in early October, shook up the race and gained national attention.
In those texts, Jones suggested — among other things — that a prominent Republican lawmaker get “two bullets to the head.”
Jones apologized but the October surprise quickly became a major topic in the race.
His victory was far from certain and came by a far smaller margin than that of his Democratic running mates.
Now Jones has to convince Virginians that he can govern the commonwealth’s legal matters fairly at a time when political violence is a huge concern. He also must convince his constituents that he had a one-time lapse in judgement.
When Jones spoke to his supporters on Tuesday night to declare victory, he didn’t say anything about the texts. We’ll be watching to see if and when the issue comes back around.
2. Trump’s impact on the ballot
President Donald Trump wasn’t on the ballot in 2025, but his shadow certainly was.
Political analysts said Virginia’s off-year election — long seen as a bellwether for the rest of the country after presidential elections — would serve as a barometer of attitudes toward Trump and Democrats’ attempts to regain their footing on the national stage.
Thirty-seven percent of voters told NBC News exit pollsters that they voted on Tuesday to oppose Trump, and 15% said their support for Trump was the reason they voted for governor.
But a large chunk of voters were motivated by other concerns entirely; 47% of Virginia voters said the president was not a factor in their local vote at all.
3. Economic concerns continue
The economy was the No. 1 issue on voters’ minds again, according to exit polls, as Virginia’s economy is affected by the government shutdown and mass layoffs of federal workers.
Forty-nine percent of voters said the economy is their most important issue, according to early results of an NBC News exit poll.
Other top issues included health care (21%), immigration (11%) and education (10%).
Six in 10 Virginia voters said in those NBC News exit polls that federal cuts have affected their families.
On Wednesday, the government shutdown officially became the longest in U.S. history. With many Virginians employed by some part of the federal government, the ongoing effects of the shutdown were top of mind.
Ultimately, with Winsome Earle-Sears’ campaign focused on culture war issues, including schools’ policies on transgender students, Abigail Spanberger won over voters who expressed concerns about their personal financial well-being.
Professor Niambi Carter of the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy said people’s cost of living and worrying how they will afford their daily lives was a crucial factor.
“The local actually really matters. So, people have to get something to vote for. It’s sort of seductive and it’s easy to go after Donald Trump. He’s not well-liked, his approval numbers are low. But that’s not gonna always be the thing that’s going to attract voters. What is this going to mean for my day-to-day life?” Carter asked.
4. Virginia makes history
For the first time in its 249-year history, Virginia elected a woman to serve as governor.
There have been 74 men elected before governor-elect Spanberger.
On Tuesday night, Spanberger told supporters that, for the first time ever in Virginia, the children of the governor-elect will go to bed with the words, “Your mom will soon be Virginia’s governor,” ringing in their ears.
“There will be many women to come, for generations to come,” she said.
NBC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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