Democrat Terry McAuliffe wound up winning the Virginia governor's race handily--though by a smaller than expected margin and only because of a strong showing in the Washington suburbs, according to nearly final results.
With nearly 99 percent of precincts reporting, McAuliffe, the former Democratic party chairman, had 1,064,903 votes, or 48 percent, to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's 1,008,554, or about 45 percent.
But it may not have been a Democratic sweep. Democratic Sen. Mark Herring had a 541 vote lead over Sen. Mark Obenshain in the attorney general's race, which is likely to see a recount.
Though the vote for governor split largely along party lines, McAuliffe vowed to be inclusive.
He told supporters, "All of this is only possible if Virginia is a model for bipartisan cooperation."
“The truth is this election was never a choice between Democrats and Republicans,” he said. “It was a choice between whether Virginia would continue the bipartisan cooperation that has served us so well.”
In New Jersey, the race was hardly close. Incumbent Republican Gov. Chris Christie had 60.5 percent of the vote, with 99 percent of precincts reporting. Democrat Barbara Buono, who was never able to get any momentum, had 38 percent.
The New York City mayor's race also was not close. Democrat Bill de Blasio will become the city's first Democratic mayor in 20 years, as he rolled up 73 percent of the vote.
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