Here is a detailed breakdown comparing 2017 and 2021: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/04/politics/exit-polls-2017-vs-2021/index.html ("Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin notably improved the GOP’s standing with younger voters, moderates, independents and White women since the last gubernatorial election in 2017.")

See also the linked article ("Take a look at this chart from Seth Masket, a political scientist at the University of Denver. It plots McAuliffe’s 2021 performance in different parts of the state against incumbent Gov. Ralph Northam’s 2017 victory, and finds a uniform shift — with nearly every part of Virginia moving in the GOP’s direction to a roughly similar degree. Youngkin didn’t win because he ran up the score in areas where voters heard a lot about CRT; he won by doing better everywhere, with a statewide message that was a lot less immersed in culture war themes than you’d expect. Many of the people who said CRT was important were likely going to vote for Youngkin no matter what and latched on to CRT as an explanation...The narrative that CRT was decisive in the Virginia election is not especially consistent with the evidence available right now.")

There is also the fact that Winsome Sears (a black woman) and Jason Miyares (an Hispanic man) won as well, which is evidence against the idea that the GOP win was attributable to racism.


[Post edited by Joey Wahoo at 09/30/2023 10:41AM]