2021 Elections: An Early Summary

November 2, 2021 was an election day in communities across the United States. Many of the political races were local: city councils, local school boards, community taxes. There were also state-wide races, which may suggest voter attitudes as the 2022 midterm elections approach. Here, Election Central takes a first look at some early results.

Governor Races

One important 2021 election race was for governor of Virginia. The candidates were Democrat Terry McAuliffe, a former Virginia governor from 2014 to 2018, and Republican businessman Glenn Youngkin. The two candidates spent most of the race virtually deadlocked. But on Election Day, Youngkin pulled ahead. His victory made him the first Republican to win statewide office in Virginia since 2009.

New Jersey’s current governor Phil Murphy was also running for reelection. Early polls showed Governor Murphy well ahead of his challenger, Republican Jack Ciattarelli. But on Election Night, Ciattarelli did better than projected. As of Wednesday morning, the race was still too close to be final. If Murphy wins, he would be the first Democratic governor of New Jersey to be reelected since 1977.

Some Historic Results

Michelle Wu will become Boston’s next mayor after defeating Annissa Essaibi George. Both Wu and Essaibi George were city councilors. Wu’s victory makes her the first woman and the first person of color to be chosen as the city’s mayor.

In Virginia, Winsome Sears also claimed a historic win while running alongside Republican Glenn Youngkin who won the governorship. Sears becomes the state’s first female lieutenant governor as well as the first person of color to hold the lieutenant governor office in Virginia’s 400-year history.

What Do You Think? What were some important races or ballot issues in your community this election? What was the outcome? Were you surprised? Explain.