Polls close in Virginia as voters choose state's first female governor

Richmond, Nov 5 (AP) Polls have closed in Virginia, where voters were deciding whether to keep the governor’s mansion in Republican hands by electing Lt Gov Winsome Earle-Sears or flipping it to Democratic

control under former US Rep Abigail Spanberger.

The race, in one of two states where voters are picking governors this year, is seen as a snapshot of voter sentiment nine months into the Trump administration. That is especially true in Virginia, which has a concentration of federal workers in the north who have been impacted by the president’s cuts to the workforce and the government shutdown.

Voters in Virginia have favoured Democrats in recent decades but the state in 2021 chose Republican Glenn Youngkin and in 2024, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris won the state by only a modest margin.

One thing that is for certain is that the winner will be the commonwealth’s first female governor.

Voters elsewhere were casting ballots to choose a new governor in New Jersey and a mayor in New York City.

In California, voters were deciding whether to approve a new congressional map that is designed to help Democrats win five more US House seats in next year’s midterm elections. The measure is a response to President Donald Trump’s efforts to aggressively gerrymander districts to favour Republicans in states where the GOP is in power.

Polling across Virginia’s counties and cities were open from 6 am to 7 pm (local time). Voters in line at a polling place at 7 pm can still cast ballots.

Virginia voters are choosing a new governor and lieutenant governor. They’re also deciding whether Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares should get another term or if Democratic challenger Jay Jones should replace him. All 100 seats in the House of Delegates also are up for election.

There are well over 6 million registered voters in Virginia. The last time these statewide races were on the ballot in 2021, the overall voter turnout was 55 per cent.

This year, nearly 1.5 million people have cast absentee ballots, mostly through the mail or in person. (AP) ARI