Black voters turned out in huge numbers in Virginia's 2021 gubernatorial election but the Democratic Party nominee still lost in a state President Joe Biden won by ten points.
"Democrats across Virginia expressed profound disappointment on Wednesday after Republicans romped to an unlikely victory in the governor's race, an ominous sign for the Democratic Party ahead of next year's midterm elections. But one group refused to be blamed for the party's poor showing: Black voters and elected officials," Astead Herndon reported for The New York Times.
The theory that "high turnout will save McAuliffe b/c Virginia is a blue state" was never much more than wishcasting on this site. There was record-shattering turnout today, and Youngkin won. #VAGOV— Dave Wasserman (@Dave Wasserman) 1635907330
"Fears about Black turnout and a lack of enthusiasm did not materialize in Tuesday's results, as former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, ran close to expected totals in the state's majority-Black areas. Instead, Black state leaders and voters who backed Mr. McAuliffe said the results were a sign that the party could not rely on minority voters to cover its cratering totals in more white areas of the state, particularly in rural communities that voted heavily for Glenn Youngkin, the Republican businessman who won the governor's race," he reported.
Del. Marcia Price described those blaming Black voters of having a "trash take."
"I believe that Black voters are easily the first target for when things don't go for how they want it to go," she said. "It's a trash take to look at us and not the middle."
Democrats got more votes than they ever had in a Virginia gubernatorial election and lost. Lots of people invested in "we need to excite the base" takes, but the base turned out.https://twitter.com/JBSDC/status/1455923352946843649\u00a0\u2026— David Weigel (@David Weigel) 1635954373
