Newcomer Republican Glenn Youngkin set to win race for Virginia governor: US media

A Republican Party candidate has pulled off an upset to become governor of US state of Virginia on Wednesday, as per US media projection. The race for governor is being seen as an early verdict on US President Joe Biden's first year in presidency.

Glenn Youngkin, a newcomer was 2.7 points ahead of Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the neck-and-neck tussle. The numbers were obtained when more than 95 per cent of the votes had been counted.

A harbinger of the parties' prospects in next year's midterm elections, the race was initially expected to be a comfortable Democratic win but instead became a toss-up in the closing days of the campaign.

A private equity multi-millionaire who has never run for office defeating a former popular Democratic governor will be seen as a disaster for Biden going into the all-important 2022 races that will determine who controls Congress.

"All right Virginia -- we won this thing! How much fun!" Youngkin, who poured at least $20 million of his own fortune into the race, told cheering fans after dancing onstage to Norman Greenbaum's 1969 hit "Spirit in the Sky."

Calling his victory a "defining moment," he told the crowd: "Together, we will change the trajectory of this commonwealth. And friends, we are going to start that transformation on day one."

The election, a neck-and-neck tussle for weeks, resonated nationwide as a proxy war between Biden and former president Donald Trump, who gave Youngkin his early backing. 

Youngkin's campaign will now likely become a blueprint for Republicans across the country as they strategize on how to leverage Trump's base while avoiding becoming tainted by his toxic brand among moderates in the midterms.