GOP pollster Frank Luntz predicts Glenn Youngkin will likely prevail in Virginia election
 
 
It's election day in America and the country can't take its eyes off Virginia, where Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin are in a neck-and-neck fight to become the next governor of the historically-blue commonwealth, CNBC reports.
The race has become somewhat of a bellwether for the national political attitude and a harbinger of what's to come in 2022 midterms, when Democrats' control of Congress is up for grabs. However, though it's of course still early, well-known Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz predicts there's "about an 80 percent chance" that Youngkin prevails against McAuliffe, per CNBC.
"The Democrat is the incumbent and it looks like the incumbent is going to lose," Luntz told Squawk Box. The current Democratic governor of Virginia can't run for re-election because he can only serve one term consecutively. McAuliffe previously served as governor from 2014 to 2018.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
 
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Luntz explained that of the four times in the last 50 years that the minority party "won the House from the incumbents," Virginia predicted the outcome with 100% accuracy. That is is "why everybody's watching it so closely," he said.
Whatever happens, The Washington Post's Greg Sargent believes the Virginia election has highlighted the "communications imbalance" between Democrats and Republicans, in which the GOP can fire up and communicate with its base directly via right-wing media while Democrats otherwise struggle. "The Democratic Party needs to figure out ways to more actively court its base voters on a regular basis," strategist David Turner told Sargent. Read more at The Washington Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
- 
 Daylight Saving Time: a Spanish controversy Daylight Saving Time: a Spanish controversyUnder the Radar Spain’s prime minister has called on the EU to remove biannual clock changes in Europe 
- 
 Quiz of The Week: 25 – 31 October Quiz of The Week: 25 – 31 OctoberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news? 
- 
 The week’s best photos The week’s best photosIn Pictures A monstrous parade, a hungry tortoise, and more 
- 
 Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariff Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax 
- 
 Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICE Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch 
- 
 Shutdown stalemate nears key pain points Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff 
- 
 Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan ad Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy 
- 
 NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footage NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges 
- 
 Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East Wing Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction 
- 
 Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 more Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters 
- 
 Trump demands millions from his administration Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations 
