'Walloping!' CNN elections expert struck by stark exit poll for GOP gov candidate

CNN election analyst David Chalian was astonished by the latest exit polls in the Virginia governor's race on Tuesday after they showed former Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger "walloping" her opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican.

The poll was released shortly before polls closed at the 7 p.m. EST deadline on Tuesday. Chalian said they could provide some clues as to which demographics are buying the Democrats' message about the economy and President Donald Trump.

"Spanberger is walloping Earle-Sears among female voters; she's getting 61% of female voters, according to these preliminary exit polls," Chalian said on CNN's election night coverage. And these numbers can shift as the night goes on and we get more information for voters. Earle-Sears is only getting 37% of female voters. This is a much wider margin than [Terry] McAuliffe had over [Glenn] Youngkin four years ago."

Chalian noted that current Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin won independent voters by 9 points four years ago. The latest polls showed Spangberger winning those voters by a 15-point margin.

"They make up a third of the electorate in Virginia," Chalian noted.

He also revealed that Spangberger appeared to be doing well with suburban voters, which Chalian described as a "critical" voting bloc.

"57% of the electorate comes from the suburbs," he noted. "Spanberger is winning them by 13 points, 56 to 43. Again, Youngkin was winning them by 7 points four years ago, and the split among federal worker households...22% of the electorate comes from federal worker households, with Spanberger at 61% to Earle-Sears' 37%."