RICHMOND — Turnout, the number of ballots cast in proportion to registered voters, for the historic election of Virginia’s first female governor nearly matched the high turnout of 2021, according to unofficial results. The last time the turnout was higher for a gubernatorial election was in 1993 when Mary Sue Terry ran for governor.

Turnout was 54.9% this year, compared to 55% in the last gubernatorial election, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Official counts will not be released by the Virginia Department of Elections until election results are certified on Dec. 1.

More people cast ballots this year than in 2021, with over 3.4 million votes compared to over 3.2 million.

Driving turnout

Virginia had over 6.3 million registered voters as of Nov. 1, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.

Turnout in traditionally Republican districts was lower this year compared to 2021, and higher in Democratic districts, according to VPAP.

Voting results show Republicans voted in higher numbers for the lieutenant governor and attorney general candidates than for Earle-Sears. Some traditionally Republican voters favored Spanberger for the position.

The results could indicate Earle-Sears did not do a very good job of getting the Republicans to turn out for her, according to J. Miles Coleman, associate editor with the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

“It’s always that party that is like outside of the White House who is just more enthusiastic to kind of show up and score points against the president,” Coleman said.

Youngkin didn’t run as a Trump-like candidate, at least temperamentally, whereas Earle-Sears did, according to Coleman. Virginia has many persuadable voters in the middle.

“Sears ran as more of a vocal, strident, conservative, I feel like, than Youngkin did,” Coleman said. “So with some of those voters in the middle that was probably a reason too.”

A talking point in 2021 was that suburban moms jumped behind Youngkin’s parental-rights centered campaign and to a degree that is true, according to Coleman.

“But I think the bigger part of Youngkin’s win in ‘21 was he got the rural parts of the state to punch above their weight,” Coleman said.

The only Republican districts with the same amount of turnout as the 2021 election were Fluvanna and Goochland counties and Buena Vista City, according to VPAP. Republican turnout increased in Lynchburg City.

Voter turnout in red districts decreased anywhere from 7 to 8 percentage points, with areas such as Patrick and Scott counties and Norton City experiencing the greatest decrease in voter turnout.

Democrats win all competitive seats, plus some

Democrats gained 13 seats in the House of Delegates after voters helped to flip several districts. This gives the Democrats 64 out of 100 House seats, and a trifecta of power partnered with the executive branch and Senate.

Democrats won every competitive district and at least six districts that typically lean Republican, according to a review of VPAP data.

Early voting favored Jay Jones

Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger is the first female governor in Virginia’s nearly 250 years of electing top male representation. Virginia is the 33rd state to elect a female governor.

Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi is the first Muslim woman in the U.S. elected to a statewide office. Her victory marks the first time the seat has been succeeded by another woman in Virginia.

Both of the Democrats received more votes than Attorney General-elect Jay Jones, who was embroiled in a text scandal that made headlines in early October.

Outgoing Attorney General Jason Miyares ran for a second term as attorney general and received the most votes on the Republican ticket, followed by lieutenant governor candidate John Reid.

Jones beat Miyares with over 200,000 votes, according to preliminary results. However, Miyares garnered over 40,000 more votes on Election Day.

Jones received more in-person early votes and post-election votes than Miyares and over 149,000 more mail-in absentee ballots.

Voters around central Virginia

Capital News Service reporters were at the polls talking with voters in four counties and two cities on Election Day.

Voters were concerned about issues such as cost of living, women’s rights, scientific research funding cuts, education, health care, the environment, the LGBTQ+ community and overall public safety.

Some voters were also concerned with things said by the Republican gubernatorial candidate and current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

“The things that I’ve heard Winsome say and the way that she tried to frame Spanberger in a way that her acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community is radical, it just kind of struck a nerve with me,” said Emily Breeden, a Henrico County voter.

Voters were excited for Virginia to have its first female governor, regardless of outcome.

“I mean long overdue,” said Dennis Demchenko, another Henrico voter. “The more important thing is that whoever she is, is a successful governor.”

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Communication. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/11/20/virginia-governors-race-turnout/