Republican Glenn Youngkin has defeated Democrat and former Governor Terry McAuliffe in Virginia’s closely watched gubernatorial election, which was considered a bellwether for next year’s midterms. The win comes one year after Virginians voted for President Biden over Trump by a margin of 10%. Youngkin, former CEO of the Carlyle Group private equity firm, said he would support reinstating some abortion restrictions in Virginia, opposes teaching critical race theory in schools and has opposed school mask and COVID vaccine mandates. Republicans have also flipped several seats in Virginia’s House of Delegates and could retake control of the chamber, though final results have not yet been called.

New Jersey’s gubernatorial race remains too close to call, with Republican Jack Ciattarelli leading slightly over incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy with 88% of ballots counted. But at this point the heavily Democratic areas of Trenton, Jersey City, Newark and Princeton have not been counted.

In another hotly anticipated race, community leader and socialist candidate India Walton is trailing four-term incumbent Byron Brown for mayor of Buffalo, New York. Walton beat Brown in the Democratic primary, but he responded by launching a write-in campaign in the general election.