On the Results of Virginia's Governor Race

 

On Tuesday, Virginians elected a new governor. Republican Glenn Youngkin beat out Democrat Terry McAuliffe in a close race and somewhat surprising race, considering that Biden won the state by ten points last year. Here is how a few major media outlets covered the news:

Tends to skew right:

Fox News: Virginia election caps Terry McAuliffe's stumbling, bumbling, error-filled campaign

As the headline shows, this article is a criticism of Democrat Terry McAuliffe and his gubernatorial campaign. In the opening sentence, the article touts Republican Glenn Youngkin’s “stunning victory” and notes that Virginia “went solidly for Biden just a year ago.” It goes on to describe some perceived blunders that caused McAuliffe to lose the race. It characterizes the campaign as exhibiting “an almost paranoid defensiveness.” The tone of the article is overwhelmingly negative and focused on McAuliffe rather than noting missteps of both campaigns. While it is often nitpicky, there are some valid points made about McAuliffe’s weaknesses, such as telling supporters that the election “was not about Trump--after spending months communicating the opposite message.” Overall though, the article is not balanced because it does not address any criticisms of the Republican’s campaign as well. It relies on attacking McAuliffe rather than providing an accurate summary of the strengths and weaknesses of each side. 

Trends toward the center:

Associated Press: Murphy ekes out win in NJ, GOP’s Youngkin upsets in Virginia

This article addresses both the Virginia and New Jersey governor races. Since I am focusing on the VA governor race, I will only mention those portions of the article. The Associated Press puts forth the point of many of last week’s articles, which was that a Republican win in Virginia would warn Democrats that “their grip on power in Washington may be in peril.” It notes that Biden won Virginia by 10 points last year and that the loss of Democrats in these current elections suggests “growing discontent among voters” regarding Biden’s presidency. The author mentions Biden’s comment that Democrats need to “produce for the American people” but adds that it’s unclear whether this will “jolt his party into action.” The article features background on both of the VA gubernatorial candidates and the key issues they focused on during the race. Unlike the Fox News article, information about both candidates is provided and it avoids biased language. Ultimately, the Associated Press provides a thorough look at Virginia’s election, the results, and what they could mean.  

Tends to skew left:

Washington Post: Republican Glenn Youngkin wins Virginia governor’s race

This headline is straight to the point, which contrasts a bit from the extremely long article itself. This article is essentially a case study of Virginia’s 2021 elections, including the lieutenant governor and attorney general races. It provides detailed information, including statistics about voter turnout, and quotes from Virginians who voted in these races. This is something that sets it apart from the other articles because the original reporting gives this story a human touch. It features a mix of Republican and Democratic Virginia voters who shared their views about the election, preventing the article from straying too far toward a certain side. This article also had interesting facts that weren’t featured in the others, such as mentioning the 3rd party candidate that was also running, and that McAuliffe would have been only the 2nd VA governor since the Civil War to receive a 2nd term. Overall, this is the most comprehensive of the articles. It illustrates the views of both sides without touting one over the other. 

My balanced take:

After hours of watching results roll in, Republican Glenn Youngkin emerged as the winner of Virginia's gubernatorial race. He beat Democrat Terry McAuliffe, former governor of the state from 2014 to 2018. This represents a political shift for the state, whose current governor is a Democrat and which went solidly blue for Biden last year. It could spell trouble for Democrats and their narrow majorities in Congress in the 2022 midterms.