# 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the next governor of Virginia. The election was concurrent with other elections for Virginia state offices. Incumbent Democratic governor Ralph Northam was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits governors from serving consecutive terms. Businessman Glenn Youngkin won the Republican nomination at the party's May 8 convention, which was held in 37 polling locations across the state, and was officially declared the nominee on May 10. The Democratic Party held its primary election on June 8, which former governor Terry McAuliffe easily won.
In the general election, Youngkin defeated McAuliffe by 63,688 votes in what was considered a mild upset because McAuliffe led over Youngkin in the polls until right before Election Day. Youngkin was the first Republican to win a statewide election in Virginia since 2009. The economy, education, public health, and cultural issues were centerpieces of Youngkin's campaign. Youngkin promised to ban the teaching of critical race theory within state schools on "day one", push back against certain COVID-19 restrictions including vaccination mandates and mask mandates, and advocate for small government within the state of Virginia.
Democrats tried to portray Youngkin as a political ally of Donald Trump, who lost Virginia in 2020, and Trump did indeed express support for Youngkin. Walking a fine line between welcoming the endorsement and demonstrating independence, Youngkin was able to successfully appeal to both Republicans and independents. Political analysts believe that the main reason for the Democratic Party's defeat in Virginia was that voters were not satisfied with the performance of President Joe Biden, with whom McAuliffe allied himself.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Nominee

* Terry McAuliffe, former governor of Virginia (2014–2018) and former chair of the Democratic National Committee (2001–2005)

#### Eliminated in primary

* Jennifer Carroll Foy, former state delegate for Virginia's 2nd House of Delegates district (2018–2020)
* Lee J. Carter, state delegate for Virginia's 50th House of Delegates district
* Justin Fairfax, lieutenant governor of Virginia
* Jennifer McClellan, state senator for Virginia's 9th Senate district and former delegate for Virginia's 71st House of Delegates district (2006–2017)

#### Declined

* Mark Herring, attorney general of Virginia (2014–2022) and former state senator for Virginia's 33rd Senate district (2006–2014) (ran for re-election)

### Endorsements

Federal officials
* Katie Porter, U.S. representative for California's 45th congressional district and Deputy Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
* Lauren Underwood, U.S. representative for Illinois's 14th congressional district
State delegates
* Joshua Cole (Stafford)
* Danica Roem (Manassas)
Local official
* Juli Briskman (Algonkian), member of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors
Organizations
* Democracy for America
* EMILY's List
* Feminist Majority PAC
* Moms Demand Action (co-endorsed with McAuliffe and McClellan)
* March On
* Sunrise Movement
* Working Families Party
Labor unions
* United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
* Amalgamated Transit Union
Individuals
* Ben Jealous, former president of the NAACP and nominee for Governor of Maryland in 2018
* Qasim Rashid, Democratic nominee for Virginia's 1st congressional district in 2020
* Gloria Steinem, feminist activist
Individual
* Marianne Williamson, author and 2020 presidential candidate
Foreign politician
* Nicholas Fairfax, 14th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom
Governor
* Ralph Northam, incumbent governor of Virginia
U.S. representative
* Nancy Pelosi, U.S. representative for California's 12th congressional district and Speaker of the House
* Elaine Luria, U.S. representative for Virginia's 2nd congressional district
* Jim Moran, former U.S. representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district and former mayor of Alexandria
State delegates
* David Toscano, former minority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, state delegate for Virginia's 57th House of Delegates district and former mayor of Charlottesville
* Karrie Delaney, state delegate for Virginia's 67th House of Delegates district
* Eileen Filler-Corn, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, state delegate for Virginia's 41st House of Delegates district and former chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia
* Charniele Herring, Majority Leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, state delegate for Virginia's 46th House of Delegates district
* Chris Hurst, state delegate for Virginia's 12th House of Delegates district
* Delores McQuinn, state delegate for Virginia's 70th House of Delegates district
* Martha Mugler, state delegate for Virginia's 91st House of Delegates district
* Kathleen Murphy, state delegate for Virginia's 34th House of Delegates district
* David A. Reid, state delegate for Virginia's 32nd House of Delegates district
* Shelly Simonds, state delegate for Virginia's 94th House of Delegates district<(Newport News)
* Suhas Subramanyam, state delegate for Virginia's 48th House of Delegates district
* Rip Sullivan, state delegate for Virginia's 87th House of Delegates district
* Luke Torian, state delegate for Virginia's 52nd House of Delegates district
* Roslyn Tyler, state delegate for Virginia's 75th House of Delegates district
* Schuyler VanValkenburg, state delegate for Virginia's 72nd House of Delegates district
* Vivian Watts, state delegate for Virginia's 39th House of Delegates district former Virginia Secretary of Transportation and Public Safety (1986–1990)
State senators
* John Bell, state senator for Virginia's 13th Senate district
* Barbara Favola,state senator for Virginia's 31st Senate district
* Janet Howell, state senator for Virginia's 32nd Senate district
* L. Louise Lucas, state senator for Virginia's 18th Senate district (1992-present), President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia (2020–present)
Local officials
* Steve Descano, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney
* John Foust (Dranesville), member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
* Penelope Gross (Mason), Vice Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
* Stacey Kincaid, Fairfax County Sheriff
* Jeff McKay (At-large), Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
* Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond and former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia
Labor unions
* AFSCME
* NATCA
Newspapers
* The Washington Post
Individuals
* Sharon Bulova, former chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
* Richard Cranwell, former majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, former minority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, and former chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia
* John Grisham, author
Organizations
* Moms Demand Action (co-endorsed with Carroll Foy and McClellan)
State delegates
* Ken Plum (Fairfax County)
* Kathy Tran (Fairfax County)
State senators
* Jennifer Boysko (Herndon), former state delegate
* Ghazala Hashmi (Chesterfield)
Local officials
* Phyllis Randall, Chair, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors
* Justin Wilson, Mayor of Alexandria
Organizations
* Moms Demand Action (co-endorsed with Carroll Foy and McAuliffe)
* Our Black Party
Individuals
* Ward Armstrong, former minority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates
* Viola Baskerville, former Virginia Secretary of Administration and former state delegate
* Leslie Byrne, former U.S. representative for Virginia's 11th congressional district
* Patrick Gottschalk, former Virginia Secretary of Commerce
* Rodney Robinson, 2019 National Teacher of the Year
* Javaid Siddiqi, former Virginia Secretary of Education

### Debates

Democratic Primary Debates :
| Date | Venue | Video | Terry McAuliffe | Jennifer Carroll Foy | Jennifer McClellan | Justin Fairfax | Lee J. Carter |
| April 6, 2021 | Virginia State University | | Participant | Participant | Participant | Participant | Participant |
McClellan opened the debate calling for a “nominee who will excite and expand our base. I’ve spent 31 years building this party and electing Democrats at the local, state and national level. It’s not enough to give someone something to vote against. We’ve got to give people something to vote for,” McClellan said. Foy said in her opening statement that she is presenting bold ideas that past politicians have failed to bring to Virginia. The pointed remark came before she went after the record of McAuliffe, the first criticism of the night directed at the presumptive frontrunner. Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax compared scrutiny of his sexual assault allegations to that of the cases of George Floyd and Emmett Till in the debate. McAuliffe mainly avoided directly responding to the attacks, focusing instead on his record as governor, the support he's received during his campaign and, stopping Glenn Youngkin in November's general election. Later in the debate, Carter called McAuliffe out for mentioning Youngkin and Trump so often. “The debate that we’re supposed to be having on this stage is a debate about the future of this commonwealth,” he said. “It’s about what we stand for and what we’re going to fight for. And this is the first opportunity for the Democratic Party to define what it is going to be after Donald Trump is gone. And he is gone. So, we can’t just be a party that is opposed to the other guys. We have to fight for something.” Carter, a self-described socialist, reiterated his proposal to use tax revenue from the marijuana industry to fund reparations.

### Polling
#### Graphical summary

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Jennifer Carroll Foy | Lee Carter | Justin Fairfax | Terry McAuliffe | Jennifer McClellan | Other | Undecided |
| Roanoke College | May 24 – June 1, 2021 | 637 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 11% | 1% | 5% | 49% | 9% | 0% | 24% |
| Christopher Newport University | April 11–20, 2021 | 806 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 5% | 1% | 8% | 47% | 6% | 2% | 31% |
| Public Policy Polling (D) | April 12–13, 2021 | 526 (LV) | ± 4.3% | 8% | 4% | 7% | 42% | 8% | – | 29% |
| Christopher Newport University | January 31 – February 14, 2021 | 488 (RV) | ± 4.9% | 4% | 1% | 12% | 26% | 4% | 0% | 54% |
| YouGov Blue (D) | February 6–11, 2021 | 235 (RV) | ± 7.4% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 43% | 8% | 0% | 30% |
| Global Strategy Group (D) | January 12–20, 2021 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 7% | – | 14% | 42% | 6% | – | 30% |
| Expedition Strategies (D) | December 2020 | – (LV) | – | 5% | – | 16% | 32% | 8% | – | 38% |

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Terry McAuliffe | 307,367 | 62.10% |
| | Democratic | Jennifer Carroll Foy | 98,052 | 19.81% |
| | Democratic | Jennifer McClellan | 58,213 | 11.76% |
| | Democratic | Justin Fairfax | 17,606 | 3.56% |
| | Democratic | Lee J. Carter | 13,694 | 2.77% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 494,932 | 100.00% |

## Republican convention

The Republican nomination process for the 2021 elections was the subject of a lengthy and acrimonious debate within the Republican Party of Virginia. On December 5, 2020, the state Republican Party voted to hold a convention instead of a primary by a vote of 39 to 35. State Senator Amanda Chase initially indicated that she would run as an independent, but she later decided to seek nomination at the convention; on the day of the convention, she acknowledged that if she did not win the nomination, she may reconsider and run as an independent, although she eventually decided against this. Faced with pressure from the Chase campaign and activists to return to a primary, the state committee debated scrapping the convention on January 23, 2021. These efforts were unsuccessful and the party reaffirmed their decision to hold a convention. On February 9, 2021, the Chase campaign sued the Republican Party of Virginia, arguing that the convention is illegal under COVID-19-related executive orders signed by Governor Ralph Northam. The Richmond Circuit Court dismissed the Chase campaign's lawsuit on February 19, 2021. The Republican Party of Virginia announced on March 26, 2021, that seven gubernatorial candidates had qualified to appear on the convention ballot. On April 11, 2021, the state Republican Party Rules Committee voted to tabulate the ballots by hand; three days later, however, the committee reversed itself and decided to use a vendor's software-based tabulation method.
On April 20, 2021, five candidates (Amanda Chase, Kirk Cox, Sergio de la Peña, Peter Doran, and Glenn Youngkin) participated in a forum at Liberty University in Lynchburg. Two candidates, Octavia Johnson and Pete Snyder, did not attend the forum.
The state Republican convention to select the party's nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general took place on May 8, 2021, in "unassembled" format, with ballots to be cast remotely at up to 37 locations statewide using ranked-choice voting. The complex process fueled internal party disputes. Up to 40,000 people were anticipated to become delegates, although not all would necessarily cast votes. Local Republican Party leaders control the application process to become a delegate, decide who can participate (voter registration in Virginia does not include a space to indicate party affiliation), and select the convention voting site. In the preceding Virginia Republican gubernatorial convention, 12,000 participated.
Orthodox Jewish Virginia Republicans asked the party to allow absentee voting for religious reasons (May 8 is on the Jewish Sabbath), but the State Central Committee initially voted down the request, failing to achieve the 75% supermajority needed to change the rules. However, the Virginia GOP ultimately reversed course and allowed those with religious objections to vote in the May 8 convention via absentee ballots. Republican candidates Kirk Cox, Peter Doran, and Glenn Youngkin had criticized the previous decision to not accommodate Orthodox Jews.
Cox received crucial endorsements of Bob McDonnell and George Allen, the former of which was the last statewide elected Republican (alongside Bill Bolling and Ken Cuccinelli) in Virginia prior to 2022. He was regarded by some as the establishment favorite heading into the convention. Nonetheless, he finished fourth on the first voting round behind Glenn Youngkin, Pete Snyder, and Amanda Chase. Youngkin was nominated on the sixth round of voting.

### Candidates
#### Nominated at convention

* Glenn Youngkin, former co-CEO of The Carlyle Group

#### Eliminated at convention

* Amanda Chase, state senator for Virginia's 11th Senate district
* Kirk Cox, state delegate for Virginia's 66th House of Delegates district and former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2018–2020)
* Sergio de la Peña, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs
* Peter Doran, former CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis
* Octavia Johnson, former sheriff of Roanoke City (2006–2013)
* Pete Snyder, entrepreneur, marketing executive, and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2013

#### Did not qualify

* Paul Davis
* Merle Rutledge, small government activist
* Kurt Santini, U.S. Army veteran

#### Declined

* Charles William Carrico Sr., former state senator for Virginia's 40th Senate district and retired state trooper (endorsed Cox)
* Neil Chatterjee, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
* Barbara Comstock, former U.S. representative for Virginia's 10th congressional district
* Nick Freitas, state delegate for Virginia's 30th House of Delegates district, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and nominee for Virginia's 7th congressional district in 2020
* Emmett Hanger, state senator for Virginia's 24th Senate district
* Bill Stanley, state senator for Virginia's 20th Senate district
* Corey Stewart, attorney, former chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and candidate for governor of Virginia in 2017 (endorsed Youngkin)

### Endorsements

Executive branch officials
* Michael Flynn, former United States National Security Advisor
U.S. senators
* George Allen, former U.S. senator from Virginia (2001–2007) and 67th governor of Virginia (1994–1998)
Governors
* Bob McDonnell, former governor of Virginia (2010–2014)
U.S. representatives
* Morgan Griffith, U.S. representative for Virginia's 9th congressional district
* Tom Davis, former U.S. representative for Virginia's 11th congressional district
State delegates
* Carrie Coyner (Chesterfield)
* Roxann Robinson (Chesterfield)
State senators
* Charles William Carrico Sr. (former Grayson)
* Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (former Fairfax)
* Bill Stanley (Moneta)
Individuals
* Elliott Sadler and Hermie Sadler, NASCAR drivers
Executive Branch Officials
* Sarah Sanders, 31st White House Press Secretary (2017–2019)
U.S. representatives
* Bob Good, U.S. representative for Virginia's 5th congressional district
State delegate
* Dave LaRock (Hamilton)
State senator
* Dick Black former senator from Ashburn
Individuals
* Ken Cuccinelli, former attorney general of Virginia
* Thomas Homan, former acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
* Tony Pham, former acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. senator
* Ted Cruz, U.S. senator from Texas
Governor
* Kevin Stitt, Governor of Oklahoma
State senator
* Stephen Newman (Forest), former president pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia, former state delegate
State delegate
* John McGuire (Glen Allen)

### Polling
#### Graphical summary

Without convention polling

#### Primary polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Amanda Chase | Kirk Cox | Sergio de la Peña | Peter Doran | Octavia Johnson | Pete Snyder | Glenn Youngkin | Other | Undecided |
| Change Research (D) | May 5–6, 2021 | 605 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 29% | 7% | 2% | 0% | 1% | 13% | 25% | – | 25% |
| Public Policy Polling (D) | April 2021 | 695 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 22% | 7% | 3% | 1% | 0% | 16% | 21% | – | 30% |
| Christopher Newport University | January 31 – February 14, 2021 | 370 (RV) | ± 5.6% | 17% | 10% | – | – | – | – | 3% | – | 55% |
| YouGov Blue (D) | February 6–11, 2021 | 170 (RV) | ± 8.6% | 24% | 7% | 1% | – | – | 13% | 5% | 0% | 54% |

#### Convention polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Amanda Chase | Kirk Cox | Pete Snyder | Glenn Youngkin | Other | Undecided |
| The Trafalgar Group (R) | April 29 – May 3, 2021 | 3,896 (LV) | ± 1.6% | 10% | 10% | 26% | 38% | 13% | 3% |

### Results

Virginia GOP Convention, Governor Nominee :
| Candidate | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 6 |
| Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Glenn Youngkin | 4131.80 | 32.9% | 4140.55 | 33.0% | 4148.91 | 33.0% | 4331.93 | 34.5% | 5311.43 | 42.3% | 6869.22 | 54.7% |
| Pete Snyder | 3241.61 | 25.8% | 3243.84 | 25.8% | 3249.71 | 25.9% | 3502.91 | 27.9% | 4078.25 | 32.5% | 5684.78 | 45.3% |
| Amanda Chase | 2605.89 | 20.8% | 2611.54 | 20.8% | 2619.83 | 20.9% | 2859.39 | 22.8% | 3164.32 | 25.2% | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Kirk Cox | 1693.58 | 13.5% | 1698.13 | 13.5% | 1705.90 | 13.6% | 1859.77 | 14.8% | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Sergio de la Peña | 805.35 | 6.4% | 812.44 | 6.5% | 829.65 | 6.6% | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Peter Doran | 42.28 | 0.3% | 47.50 | 0.4% | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Octavia Johnson | 33.48 | 0.3% | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |

## Other parties and independents
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Princess Blanding (Liberation Party), teacher, former school administrator, activist, and sister of Marcus-David Peters

#### Did not qualify

* Frankie Bowers (Independent)
* Brad Froman (Independent), business owner
* Timothy Phipps (Constitution Party)

#### Declined

* Amanda Chase, state senator for Virginia's 11th Senate district
* Denver Riggleman, former U.S. representative (VA-05)

## General election

On August 26, the Republican Party of Virginia filed a lawsuit to disqualify McAuliffe from appearing on the ballot in November. The suit alleges that McAuliffe did not sign his declaration of candidacy, which is needed to qualify in the primary and general election. It was found that the declaration of candidacy was missing his signature, although it includes two witnesses' signatures. The suit also alleges the witnesses violated state law by witnessing a signing that didn't occur.

### Debates
#### Canceled debates

On July 12, Glenn Youngkin announced he would not take part in the July 24 debate hosted by the Virginia Bar Association because of a donation made by one of the moderators, Judy Woodruff. Woodruff had made a $250 donation to the Clinton Foundation relief fund after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The foundation had been run by Hillary and Bill Clinton, who are close allies to Terry McAuliffe. On July 28, after discovering that Youngkin would participate in an 'election integrity' rally at Liberty University, McAuliffe declined a debate at the same university. On August 2, Youngkin declined participation in The People's Debate. The two candidates pledged to two debates; one on September 16 and one on September 28.

#### First debate

Youngkin and McAuliffe met at Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia on September 16, 2021, one day before early voting began. The debate was hosted by USA Today Washington Bureau Chief, Susan Page.
The debate started with discussion over a recent COVID-19 mandate President Joe Biden signed requiring federal workers, employees of large companies, and contractors to be vaccinated. Youngkin doubted if Biden had the power to authorize the mandate, and supported personal choice for receiving the vaccine. McAuliffe supported the mandate and accused Youngkin of spreading "anti-vax" rhetoric. Youngkin denied the claim. McAuliffe also supported requiring vaccines for students over the age of 12. McAuliffe has also repeatedly made false statements about COVID-19, often inflating the number of cases.
The discussion moved to climate change, where Youngkin stated he would use all sources of energy to address climate change without "putting [the] entire energy grid at risk for political purposes." McAuliffe called for clean energy in the state by 2035 and stressed the idea for the state to be a production hub.
The discussion then moved to abortion, specifically the recent Texas Heartbeat Act signed by Texas governor Greg Abbott (who endorsed Youngkin). When asked whether or not Youngkin would sign a similar bill, Youngkin stated that he would not sign the bill, and that he was anti-abortion and supports exclusions in cases such as rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is endangered. He also stated he supports a "pain-threshold" bill that would ban most abortions at the point when a fetus can feel pain, which proponents of this type of law define as 20 weeks. In addition, Youngkin stated McAuliffe was "the most extreme pro-abortion candidate in America today". In response to Youngkin, McAuliffe stated he was a "brick wall" on women's rights and would protect a woman's decision over abortion and supports reducing the number of doctors needed to certify a third-trimester abortion from three to one.
The next discussion topic was over election integrity. After supporting an "Election Integrity Taskforce", Youngkin stated he does not believe there has been "significant fraud", and stated the issue of fraud as "a democracy issue". Youngkin stressed that he believes that "Joe Biden's our president" and criticized the withdrawal from Afghanistan. McAuliffe took note of Donald Trump's endorsement of Youngkin, calling him a "Trump wannabe". Both candidates stated they would concede the election if the other came out on top.
The final discussion topic was over the economy. McAuliffe attacked Youngkin on his top economic advisor, Stephen Moore, who advised Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Youngkin defended Virginia's right-to-work law.

#### Second debate

Youngkin and McAuliffe met at the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce on September 28, 2021. The event was hosted by Chuck Todd, moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. Less than a week before the debate, one of the panelists, Michael Fauntroy, withdrew from the debate after tweets against the GOP and Evangelicals were found.
On the discussion topic of COVID-19, Youngkin and McAuliffe reiterated their stances on the vaccines. Youngkin stated he believed in mandates for vaccines for diseases measles, mumps and rubella, but not for COVID-19, saying that "the data associated with those vaccines is something that we should absolutely understand the difference between this vaccine." Youngkin said people should get vaccinated against COVID-19.
During the debate, Youngkin noted that Trump was regularly mentioned by McAuliffe, who again called Youngkin a "Trump wannabe." When asked, Youngkin stated he would support Trump if he were to become the Republican nominee in 2024.
Approximately 15 minutes into the debate, third party candidate Princess Blanding, who was in the audience, disrupted the debate, screaming that her exclusion from the debate was "unfair" and claiming that McAuliffe would not win the election. After being escorted out by security, she claimed that being excluded from the debate was racist and sexist, and that it constituted "censorship".
Youngkin asserted that McAuliffe had vetoed legislation that would have required schools to inform parents about sexually explicit content in educational materials. McAuliffe defended his veto, saying: "'I'm not going to let parents come into schools and actually take books out and make their own decision... I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach'". McAuliffe received criticism for these remarks, and Youngkin used his comments to create an attack ad. Following the election, Newsweek described McAuliffe's remarks as "a major factor in the race".

### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Tossup | October 5, 2021 |
| Inside Elections | Tossup | November 1, 2021 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean R (flip) | November 1, 2021 |

### Endorsements

Federal officials
* Joe Biden, 46th President of the United States (2021–present), 47th vice president of the United States (2009–2017), and former U.S. senator from Delaware (1973–2009)
* Kamala Harris, 49th Vice President of the United States (2021–present), and former U.S. senator from California (2017–2021)
* Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States (2009–2017), former U.S. senator for Illinois (2005–2008), former Illinois senator (1997–2004)
* Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the United States (1993–2001) and 40th and 42nd governor of Arkansas (1979–1981, 1983–1992)
* Hillary Clinton, 2016 Democratic nominee for President of the United States, 67th U.S. Secretary of State (2009–2013), candidate for President in 2008, U.S. senator from New York (2001–2009), First Lady of the United States (1993–2001)
Governors
* Gavin Newsom, Governor of California (2019–present)
* Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia (2018–2022)
U.S. senators
* Cory Booker, U.S. senator from New Jersey (2013–present), 38th Mayor of Newark (2006–2013)
* Tim Kaine, 2016 Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States, U.S. senator from Virginia (2013–present), 70th governor of Virginia (2006–2010), 38th lieutenant governor of Virginia (2002–2006), 78th mayor of Richmond (1998–2001)
* Amy Klobuchar, U.S. senator from Minnesota (2007–present)
* Jon Ossoff, U.S. senator from Georgia (2021–present)
* Alex Padilla, U.S. senator from California (2021–present), 30th Secretary of State of California (2015–2021)
* Mark Warner, U.S. senator from Virginia (2009–present), and 69th governor of Virginia (2002–2006)
* Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator from Massachusetts (2013–present)
U.S. representatives
* Don Beyer, U.S. representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district (2015–present) and 36th lieutenant governor of Virginia (1990–1998)
* Rick Boucher, former U.S. representative for Virginia's 9th congressional district (1983–2011)
* Jim Clyburn, U.S. representative for South Carolina's 6th congressional district (1993–present) and House Majority Whip (2007–2011, 2019–2023)
* Donald McEachin, U.S. representative for Virginia's 4th congressional district (2017–2022)
* Jim Moran, former U.S. representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district (1991–2015) and former mayor of Alexandria (1985–1991)
* Elaine Luria, U.S. representative for Virginia's 2nd congressional district (2019–2023)
* Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, (2007–2011, 2019–2023) U.S. representative for California's 12th congressional district (1987–present)
* Bobby Scott, U.S. representative for Virginia's 3rd congressional district (1993–present)
* Abigail Spanberger, U.S. representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district (2019–present)
* Jennifer Wexton, U.S. representative for Virginia's 10th congressional district (2019–present)
State legislators
* Stacey Abrams, former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives (2011–2017), former Georgia state representative (2007–2017) and founder of Fair Fight Action
* Lamont Bagby, state delegate from the 74th district (2015–present)
* John Bell, state senator from the 13th district (2020–present) and former state delegate from the 87th district (2016–2020)
* Jennifer Boysko, state senator from the 33rd district (2019–present)
* Richard Cranwell, former majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates (1991–2000), former minority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates (2000–2002), and former chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia (2005–2010)
* Karrie Delaney, state delegate from the 67th district (2018–present)
* Barbara Favola, state senator from the 31st district (2012–present)
* Eileen Filler-Corn, state delegate from the 41st district (2010–present) and Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2020–present)
* Jennifer Carroll Foy, former state delegate from the 2nd district (2018–2020) and candidate for governor in 2021
* Charniele Herring, state delegate from the 46th district (2009–present), Majority Leader of the Virginia House of Delegates (2020–present), and former chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia (2012–2014)
* Janet Howell, state senator from the 32nd district (1992–present)
* Chris Hurst, state delegate from the 12th district (2018–present)
* Jay Jones, state delegate from the 89th district (2018–2021)
* Louise Lucas, state senator from the 18th district (1992–present) and President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia (2020–present)
* Delores McQuinn, state delegate from the 70th district (2009–present)
* Martha Mugler, state delegate from the 91st district (2020–present)
* Kathleen Murphy, state delegate from the 34th district (2015–present)
* David Ramadan, former state delegate from the 87th district (2012–2016) (Republican)
* Sam Rasoul, state delegate from the 48th district (2014–present)
* David A. Reid, state delegate from the 32nd district (2018–present)
* Dick Saslaw, state senator from the 35th district (1980–present), Majority Leader of the Senate of Virginia (2020–present), and former state delegate from the 19th district (1976–1980)
* Shelly Simonds, state delegate from the 94th district (2020–present)
* Suhas Subramanyam, state delegate from the 87th district (2020–present)
* Rip Sullivan, state delegate from the 48th district (2014–present)
* Luke Torian, state delegate from the 52nd district (2010–present)
* David Toscano, former minority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates (2011–2018) and former mayor of Charlottesville (1994–1996)
* Roslyn Tyler, state delegate from the 75th district (2006–present)
* Schuyler VanValkenburg, state delegate from the 72nd district (2018–present)
* Vivian Watts, state delegate from the 39th district (1996–present) and former Virginia Secretary of Transportation and Public Safety (1986–1990)
* Rodney Willett, state delegate from the 73rd district (2020–present)
Local officials
* Kenny Alexander, Mayor of Norfolk (2016–present)
* Keisha Lance Bottoms, Mayor of Atlanta (2018–present)
* Sharon Bulova, former chair of the Fairfax County Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (2009–2019)
* John Foust, member of the Fairfax County Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (2007–present)
* Penelope Gross, member of the Fairfax County Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (1996–present)
* Jeff McKay, Chair of the Fairfax County Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (2019–present)
* Levar Stoney, Mayor of Richmond (2017–present) and former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia (2014–2016)
Labor unions
* AFSCME
* American Federation of Teachers
* Communications Workers of America
* NATCA
* Virginia AFL–CIO
Organizations
* Human Rights Campaign
* Moms Demand Action
* Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund
* VoteVets
Newspapers
* The Washington Post
Individuals
* Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States (2021–present)
* Doug Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States (2021–present)
* Blake Cooper Griffin, actor
* Jaime Harrison, Chair of the Democratic National Committee (2021–present)
* Dolores Huerta, civil rights activist
* Bill Kristol, neoconservative political commentator (former Republican)
* Dave Matthews, singer and songwriter
* Mary L. Trump, psychologist and niece of Donald Trump
* Pharrell Williams, singer and songwriter
Executive Branch officials
* Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States (2017–2021)
* Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States (2017–2021)
* Steve Bannon, White House Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to the President (2017)
* Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State (2018–2021), Director of the CIA (2017–2018), and U.S. representative from Kansas's 4th congressional district (2011–2017)
* Nikki Haley, United States ambassador to the United Nations (2017–2018) and former governor of South Carolina (2011–2017)
* Ben Carson, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2017–2021)
* Ken Cuccinelli, Principal Deputy Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (2019–2021), Attorney General of Virginia (2010–2014), nominee for Governor of Virginia in 2013
* Sergio de la Peña, Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs (2017–2020) and candidate for governor in 2021
* Robert E. Martinez, Associate Deputy Secretary of Transportation (1992–1993), Virginia Secretary of Transportation (1994–1998)
U.S. senators
* Ted Cruz, U.S. senator from Texas (2013–present)
* Rand Paul, U.S. senator from Kentucky (2011–present)
* Mitt Romney, U.S. senator from Utah (2019–present), 2012 Republican nominee for President of the United States, 70th governor of Massachusetts (2003–2007)
* Rick Scott, U.S. senator from Florida (2019–present), 45th governor of Florida (2011–2019)
* Tim Scott, U.S. senator from South Carolina (2013–present)
Governors
* George Allen, 67th governor of Virginia (1994–1998) and United States senator (2001–2007)
* Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas (2015–present)
* Doug Burgum, Governor of North Dakota (2016–present)
* Bob Ehrlich, 60th governor of Maryland (2003-2007), and former U.S. representative for Maryland's 2nd congressional district (1995–2003)
* Jim Gilmore, 68th governor of Virginia (1998–2002), and 38th attorney general of Virginia (1994–1997)
* Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland (2015–2023)
* Bill Lee, Governor of Tennessee (2019–present)
* Brad Little, Governor of Idaho (2019–present)
* Bob McDonnell, 71st governor of Virginia (2010–2014) and 44th attorney general of Virginia (2006–2009)
* Kevin Stitt, Governor of Oklahoma (2019–present)
U.S. representatives
* Ben Cline, U.S. representative for Virginia's 6th congressional district (2019–present)
* Barbara Comstock, former U.S. representative for Virginia's 10th congressional district (2015–2019)
* Newt Gingrich, former U.S. representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district (1979–1999), 50th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (1995–1999), and candidate for President of the United States in 2012
* Bob Good, U.S. representative for Virginia's 5th congressional district (2021–present)
* Bob Goodlatte, former U.S. representative for Virginia's 6th congressional district (1993–2019)
* Morgan Griffith, U.S. representative for Virginia's 9th congressional district (2011–present)
State legislators
* Rich Anderson, former state delegate from the 51st district (2010–2018) and Chair of the Republican Party of Virginia (2020–present)
* Kathy Byron, state delegate from the 22nd district (1998–present)
* Amanda Chase, state senator for the 11th district (2016–present) and candidate for governor in 2021
* Kirk Cox, state delegate from the 66th district (1990–present) and former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2018–2020)
* Nick Freitas, state delegate from the 30th district (2016–present)
* Todd Gilbert, Minority Leader of the Virginia House of Delegates (2020–2021), Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2022–present) and state delegate from the 15th district (2012–present)
* Chris Head, state delegate from the 17th district (2012–present)
* Jen Kiggans, state senator from the 7th district (2020–present)
* Terry Kilgore, state delegate from the 1st district (1994–present)
* John McGuire, state delegate from the 56th district (2018–present)
* Joe McNamara, state delegate from the 8th district (2018–present)
* Stephen Newman, state senator from the 23rd district (1996–present), former President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia (2016–2020), and former state delegate from the 23rd district (1992–1996)
* Mark Obenshain, state senator from the 26th district (2004–present) and nominee for Attorney General of Virginia in 2013
* Mark Peake, state senator from the 22nd district (2017–present)
* Richard Stuart, state senator from the 28th district (2008–present)
* David Suetterlein, state delegate from the 19th district (2016–present)
* Wendell Walker, state delegate from the 23rd district (2020–present)
* Michael Webert, state delegate from the 18th district (2012–present)
* Bill Wiley, state delegate from the 29th district (2020–present)
Local officials
* Michael L. Chapman, Sheriff of Loudoun County, Virginia (2012–present)
* Ken Stolle, Sheriff of Virginia Beach (2010–present)
Organizations
* Americans for Prosperity
* Family Research Council
* Republican Party of Virginia
* Susan B. Anthony List
* National Right to Life
* Women Speak Out Virginia
* Virginia Society for Human Life
* Log Cabin Republicans
Individuals
* Daniel Gade, activist and Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2020
* Hugh Hewitt, radio talk show host
* Ronna McDaniel, Chair of the Republican National Committee (2017–present)
* Tony Perkins, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 64th district, president of Family Research Council

### Polling

Aggregate polls
| Source of poll aggregation | Dates administered | Dates updated | Terry McAuliffe (D) | Glenn Youngkin (R) | Other/Undecided | Margin |
| Real Clear Politics | October 20–31, 2021 | November 1, 2021 | 46.8% | 48.5% | 4.8% | Youngkin +1.7% |
| FiveThirtyEight | August 1 – November 1, 2021 | November 1, 2021 | 47.0% | 47.9% | 5.1% | Youngkin +1.0% |
| Average | Average | Average | 46.9% | 48.2% | 5.0% | Youngkin +1.4% |
Graphical summary
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Terry McAuliffe (D) | Glenn Youngkin (R) | Princess Blanding (Lib.) | Other | Undecided |
| Research Co. | October 31 – November 1, 2021 | 450 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 47% | 48% | 2% | – | 3% |
| Targoz Market Research | October 26 – November 1, 2021 | 747 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 50% | 47% | – | – | 3% |
| The Trafalgar Group (R) | October 29–31, 2021 | 1,081 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 47% | 49% | – | 2% | 2% |
| InsiderAdvantage (R) | October 27–30, 2021 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 45% | 47% | 2% | – | 6% |
| Echelon Insights | October 27–29, 2021 | 611 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 46% | 49% | 2% | – | 4% |
| Roanoke College | October 14–28, 2021 | 571 (LV) | ± 4.7% | 48% | 47% | 1% | 0% | 4% |
| Fox News | October 24–27, 2021 | 1,212 (RV) | ± 2.5% | 47% | 48% | – | 2% | 3% |
| Fox News | October 24–27, 2021 | 1,015 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 45% | 53% | – | 1% | 1% |
| Washington Post/Schar School | October 20–26, 2021 | 1,107 (RV) | ± 3.5% | 47% | 44% | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Washington Post/Schar School | October 20–26, 2021 | 1,107 (RV) | ± 3.5% | 49% | 45% | – | 3% | 4% |
| Washington Post/Schar School | October 20–26, 2021 | 918 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 49% | 48% | 1% | 0% | 2% |
| Washington Post/Schar School | October 20–26, 2021 | 918 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 49% | 48% | – | 0% | 2% |
| Christopher Newport University | October 17–25, 2021 | 944 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 49% | 48% | 1% | – | 1% |
| Suffolk University | October 21–24, 2021 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 46% | 45% | 2% | – | 7% |
| Emerson College | October 22–23, 2021 | 875 (LV) | ± 3.2% | 48% | 48% | 1% | – | 3% |
| efficient (R) | October 20–21, 2021 | 785 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 43% | 47% | 5% | – | 5% |
| Cygnal (R) | October 19–21, 2021 | 816 (LV) | ± 3.4% | 48% | 48% | 1% | – | 3% |
| KAConsulting LLC (R) | October 18–21, 2021 | 661 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 41% | 43% | – | 1% | 15% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | October 9–21, 2021 | 722 (LV) | ± 6.4% | 41% | 38% | – | 10% | 11% |
| Monmouth University | October 16–19, 2021 | 1,005 (RV) | ± 3.1% | 46% | 46% | – | 2% | 7% |
| Monmouth University | October 16–19, 2021 | 1,005 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 45% | 48% | – | – | – |
| Monmouth University | October 16–19, 2021 | 1,005 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 48% | 45% | – | – | – |
| Data for Progress (D) | October 4–15, 2021 | 1,589 (LV) | ± 2.0% | 50% | 45% | – | 2% | 3% |
| The Trafalgar Group (R) | October 11–13, 2021 | 1,095 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 48% | 48% | – | 1% | 3% |
| Fox News | October 10–13, 2021 | 1,004 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 52% | 41% | – | 2% | 5% |
| Fox News | October 10–13, 2021 | 726 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 51% | 46% | – | 1% | 2% |
| Schoen Cooperman Research (D) | October 9–12, 2021 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 47% | 43% | – | 0% | 10% |
| YouGov/CBS News | October 4–11, 2021 | 1,040 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 50% | 47% | – | 2% | 0% |
| Christopher Newport University | September 27 – October 6, 2021 | 802 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 49% | 45% | 1% | – | 5% |
| Emerson College | October 1–3, 2021 | 620 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 49% | 48% | – | 1% | 2% |
| Fox News | September 26–29, 2021 | 901 (RV) | ± 3.0% | 48% | 44% | – | 1% | 7% |
| Roanoke College | September 12–26, 2021 | 603 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 48% | 41% | 1% | 1% | 9% |
| Monmouth University | September 22–26, 2021 | 801 (RV) | ± 3.5% | 48% | 43% | – | 2% | 8% |
| Monmouth University | September 22–26, 2021 | 801 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 48% | 45% | – | – | – |
| Monmouth University | September 22–26, 2021 | 801 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 50% | 43% | – | – | – |
| Global Strategy Group (D) | September 16–20, 2021 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 48% | 45% | – | – | 7% |
| KAConsulting LLC (R) | September 17–19, 2021 | 700 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 46% | 42% | – | 1% | 10% |
| Public Policy Polling (D) | September 17–18, 2021 | 875 (V) | ± 3.3% | 45% | 42% | – | – | 13% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | September 7–15, 2021 | 731 (LV) | ± 6.9% | 43% | 34% | – | 10% | 13% |
| Emerson College | September 13–14, 2021 | 778 (LV) | ± 3.4% | 49% | 45% | – | 2% | 5% |
| University of Mary Washington | September 7–13, 2021 | 1,000 (A) | ± 3.1% | 43% | 38% | 2% | 6% | 11% |
| University of Mary Washington | September 7–13, 2021 | 885 (RV) | ± 3.3% | 46% | 41% | 2% | – | – |
| University of Mary Washington | September 7–13, 2021 | 528 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 43% | 48% | 2% | 2% | 6% |
| Washington Post/Schar School | September 7–13, 2021 | 907 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 49% | 43% | – | 3% | 4% |
| Washington Post/Schar School | September 7–13, 2021 | 728 (LV) | ± 4.5% | 50% | 47% | – | 1% | 2% |
| WPA Intelligence (R) | August 30 – September 2, 2021 | 734 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 46% | 48% | 3% | – | 4% |
| WPA Intelligence (R) | August 30 – September 2, 2021 | 734 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 48% | 48% | – | – | 4% |
| The Trafalgar Group (R) | August 26–29, 2021 | 1,074 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 47% | 46% | – | 2% | 5% |
| Monmouth University | August 24–29, 2021 | 802 (RV) | ± 3.5% | 47% | 42% | – | 2% | 9% |
| Monmouth University | August 24–29, 2021 | 802 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 47% | 45% | – | – | – |
| Monmouth University | August 24–29, 2021 | 802 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 49% | 42% | – | – | – |
| Christopher Newport University | August 15–23, 2021 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 50% | 41% | 3% | – | 6% |
| Change Research (D) | August 17–21, 2021 | 1,653 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 49% | 43% | 3% | – | 5% |
| Change Research (D) | August 14–18, 2021 | 1,334 (LV) | ± 2.7% | 47% | 44% | – | – | 9% |
| Roanoke College | August 3–17, 2021 | 558 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 46% | 38% | 2% | 1% | 13% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | August 4–15, 2021 | 770 (RV) | ± 5.4% | 40% | 37% | – | 15% | 9% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | August 4–15, 2021 | ~747 (LV) | ± 5.5% | 40% | 37% | – | 14% | 9% |
| efficient (R) | August 8–9, 2021 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 47% | 45% | – | – | 8% |
| WPA Intelligence (R) | August 3–5, 2021 | 734 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 50% | 43% | 3% | – | 4% |
| WPA Intelligence (R) | August 3–5, 2021 | 734 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 51% | 45% | – | – | 4% |
| efficient (R) | July 25–27, 2021 | 762 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 45% | 40% | 2% | – | 13% |
| The Trafalgar Group (R) | July 8–10, 2021 | 1,104 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 47% | 45% | – | 4% | 4% |
| Spry Strategies (R) | July 6–9, 2021 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 46% | 41% | – | 2% | 10% |
| JMC Analytics and Polling (R) | June 9–12, 2021 | 550 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 46% | 42% | – | – | 12% |
| WPA Intelligence (R) | June 2–6, 2021 | 506 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 48% | 46% | – | – | 5% |

### Fundraising

Campaign finance reports :
| Candidate | Amount spent | Votes | Cost per vote |
| Glenn Youngkin | $64,487,829 | 1,663,158 | $38.77 |
| Terry McAuliffe | $68,777,633 | 1,599,470 | $43.00 |
| Princess Blanding | $32,595 | 23,107 | $1.41 |
| Source: Virginia Public Access Project ||||

## Results

2021 Virginia gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Glenn Youngkin | 1,663,158 | 50.58% | +5.61% |
| | Democratic | Terry McAuliffe | 1,599,470 | 48.64% | −5.26% |
| | Liberation | Princess Blanding | 23,125 | 0.70% | +0.70% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 2,592 | 0.08% | +0.03% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,288,327 | 100% | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,296,705 | 55.39% | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,951,368 | | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### By county and city

Independent cities have been italicized.
| County or city | Youngkin | Youngkin | McAuliffe | McAuliffe | Blanding | Blanding | Others | Others | Turnout | Total |
| County or city | Votes | Percent | Votes | Percent | Votes | Percent | Votes | Percent | Turnout | Total |
| Accomack | 7,878 | 61.08% | 4,948 | 38.37% | 67 | 0.52% | 4 | 0.03% | 52.27% | 12,897 |
| Albemarle | 19,141 | 37.21% | 31,919 | 62.05% | 347 | 0.67% | 36 | 0.07% | 62.94% | 51,443 |
| Alexandria | 14,013 | 24.02% | 43,866 | 75.20% | 385 | 0.66% | 66 | 0.11% | 54.35% | 58,330 |
| Alleghany | 4,530 | 74.52% | 1,518 | 24.97% | 26 | 0.43% | 5 | 0.08% | 55.18% | 6,079 |
| Amelia | 4,720 | 74.19% | 1,617 | 25.42% | 23 | 0.36% | 2 | 0.03% | 64.17% | 6,362 |
| Amherst | 9,731 | 71.00% | 3,897 | 28.43% | 72 | 0.53% | 6 | 0.04% | 61.34% | 13,706 |
| Appomattox | 5,971 | 80.26% | 1,438 | 19.33% | 26 | 0.35% | 5 | 0.07% | 62.61% | 7,440 |
| Arlington | 21,548 | 22.63% | 73,013 | 76.67% | 554 | 0.58% | 116 | 0.12% | 56.13% | 95,231 |
| Augusta | 26,196 | 77.93% | 7,231 | 21.51% | 170 | 0.51% | 16 | 0.05% | 62.72% | 33,613 |
| Bath | 1,539 | 79.04% | 396 | 20.34% | 11 | 0.56% | 1 | 0.05% | 59.25% | 1,947 |
| Bedford | 30,912 | 79.10% | 8,001 | 20.47% | 145 | 0.37% | 21 | 0.05% | 63.60% | 39,079 |
| Bland | 2,274 | 85.78% | 364 | 13.73% | 12 | 0.45% | 1 | 0.04% | 58.91% | 2,651 |
| Botetourt | 13,066 | 76.30% | 3,990 | 23.30% | 61 | 0.36% | 8 | 0.05% | 66.32% | 17,125 |
| Bristol | 3,773 | 73.30% | 1,342 | 26.07% | 30 | 0.58% | 2 | 0.04% | 43.60% | 5,147 |
| Brunswick | 2,880 | 47.34% | 3,165 | 52.02% | 34 | 0.56% | 5 | 0.08% | 55.60% | 6,084 |
| Buchanan | 5,083 | 84.72% | 903 | 15.05% | 8 | 0.13% | 6 | 0.10% | 40.17% | 6,000 |
| Buckingham | 3,894 | 63.29% | 2,222 | 36.11% | 35 | 0.57% | 2 | 0.03% | 56.78% | 6,153 |
| Buena Vista | 1,459 | 74.33% | 481 | 24.50% | 22 | 1.12% | 1 | 0.05% | 45.53% | 1,963 |
| Campbell | 18,213 | 78.39% | 4,930 | 21.22% | 77 | 0.33% | 15 | 0.06% | 57.88% | 23,235 |
| Caroline | 6,917 | 57.35% | 5,045 | 41.83% | 91 | 0.75% | 8 | 0.07% | 54.33% | 12,061 |
| Carroll | 9,868 | 83.45% | 1,910 | 16.15% | 43 | 0.36% | 4 | 0.03% | 57.19% | 11,825 |
| Charles City | 1,550 | 45.76% | 1,822 | 53.79% | 15 | 0.44% | 0 | 0.00% | 59.93% | 3,387 |
| Charlotte | 3,354 | 70.26% | 1,396 | 29.24% | 21 | 0.44% | 3 | 0.06% | 57.26% | 4,774 |
| Charlottesville | 2,774 | 15.99% | 14,378 | 82.88% | 173 | 1.00% | 22 | 0.13% | 51.71% | 17,347 |
| Chesapeake | 48,079 | 52.43% | 42,907 | 46.79% | 654 | 0.71% | 59 | 0.06% | 53.53% | 91,699 |
| Chesterfield | 80,889 | 51.76% | 74,085 | 47.41% | 1,194 | 0.76% | 109 | 0.07% | 59.81% | 156,277 |
| Clarke | 4,642 | 62.54% | 2,739 | 36.90% | 34 | 0.46% | 7 | 0.09% | 63.36% | 7,422 |
| Colonial Heights | 4,913 | 73.27% | 1,729 | 25.79% | 53 | 0.79% | 10 | 0.15% | 52.84% | 6,705 |
| Covington | 1,198 | 66.82% | 579 | 32.29% | 16 | 0.89% | 0 | 0.00% | 47.36% | 1,793 |
| Craig | 2,079 | 83.16% | 400 | 16.00% | 17 | 0.68% | 4 | 0.16% | 63.12% | 2,500 |
| Culpeper | 13,436 | 66.47% | 6,661 | 32.95% | 107 | 0.53% | 10 | 0.05% | 56.89% | 20,214 |
| Cumberland | 2,678 | 63.38% | 1,515 | 35.86% | 27 | 0.64% | 5 | 0.12% | 58.50% | 4,225 |
| Danville | 5,907 | 45.92% | 6,872 | 53.42% | 80 | 0.62% | 5 | 0.04% | 45.27% | 12,864 |
| Dickenson | 3,867 | 80.31% | 934 | 19.40% | 11 | 0.23% | 3 | 0.06% | 47.46% | 4,815 |
| Dinwiddie | 7,335 | 63.33% | 4,181 | 36.10% | 59 | 0.51% | 7 | 0.06% | 56.92% | 11,582 |
| Emporia | 723 | 39.47% | 1,087 | 59.33% | 20 | 1.09% | 2 | 0.11% | 46.75% | 1832 |
| Essex | 2,684 | 57.00% | 1,980 | 42.05% | 39 | 0.83% | 6 | 0.13% | 58.61% | 4,709 |
| Fairfax County | 152,110 | 34.47% | 286,316 | 64.89% | 2,348 | 0.53% | 492 | 0.11% | 56.98% | 441,266 |
| Fairfax | 3,606 | 35.56% | 6,465 | 63.74% | 59 | 0.58% | 12 | 0.12% | 59.03% | 10,142 |
| Falls Church | 1,590 | 22.63% | 5,388 | 76.69% | 42 | 0.60% | 6 | 0.09% | 64.83% | 7,026 |
| Fauquier | 22,252 | 65.46% | 11,570 | 34.04% | 156 | 0.46% | 14 | 0.04% | 62.13% | 33,992 |
| Floyd | 5,230 | 69.75% | 2,203 | 29.38% | 59 | 0.79% | 6 | 0.08% | 64.55% | 7,498 |
| Fluvanna | 7,068 | 56.75% | 5,312 | 42.65% | 65 | 0.52% | 9 | 0.07% | 61.40% | 12,454 |
| Franklin County | 17,842 | 74.82% | 5,894 | 24.71% | 102 | 0.43% | 10 | 0.04% | 61.06% | 23,848 |
| Franklin | 1,270 | 42.83% | 1,680 | 56.66% | 14 | 0.47% | 1 | 0.03% | 51.41% | 2,965 |
| Frederick | 25,062 | 68.90% | 11,164 | 30.69% | 130 | 0.36% | 19 | 0.05% | 55.88% | 36,375 |
| Fredericksburg | 3,503 | 38.77% | 5,402 | 59.79% | 113 | 1.25% | 17 | 0.19% | 48.96% | 9,035 |
| Galax | 1,424 | 73.94% | 492 | 25.55% | 9 | 0.47% | 1 | 0.05% | 48.98% | 1,926 |
| Giles | 5,788 | 78.33% | 1,535 | 20.77% | 61 | 0.83% | 5 | 0.07% | 61.83% | 7,389 |
| Gloucester | 12,585 | 72.37% | 4,712 | 27.09% | 88 | 0.51% | 6 | 0.03% | 59.40% | 17,391 |
| Goochland | 9,585 | 65.87% | 4,910 | 33.74% | 52 | 0.36% | 5 | 0.03% | 71.07% | 14,552 |
| Grayson | 5,144 | 82.48% | 1,062 | 17.03% | 27 | 0.43% | 4 | 0.06% | 58.20% | 6,237 |
| Greene | 5,961 | 67.42% | 2,806 | 31.73% | 68 | 0.77% | 7 | 0.08% | 61.43% | 8,842 |
| Greensville | 1,709 | 46.98% | 1,915 | 52.64% | 12 | 0.33% | 2 | 0.05% | 57.08% | 3,638 |
| Halifax | 8,641 | 63.90% | 4,804 | 35.53% | 75 | 0.55% | 2 | 0.01% | 55.08% | 13,522 |
| Hampton | 14,651 | 32.48% | 29,971 | 66.45% | 449 | 1.00% | 33 | 0.07% | 45.75% | 45,104 |
| Hanover | 39,954 | 67.65% | 18,753 | 31.75% | 322 | 0.55% | 35 | 0.06% | 68.30% | 59,064 |
| Harrisonburg | 4,382 | 38.65% | 6,812 | 60.09% | 131 | 1.16% | 12 | 0.11% | 43.63% | 11,337 |
| Henrico | 55,796 | 40.24% | 81,409 | 58.71% | 1,342 | 0.97% | 120 | 0.09% | 58.70% | 138,667 |
| Henry | 12,902 | 69.61% | 5,547 | 29.93% | 74 | 0.40% | 13 | 0.07% | 51.52% | 18,536 |
| Highland | 969 | 74.37% | 325 | 24.94% | 8 | 0.61% | 1 | 0.08% | 69.31% | 1303 |
| Hopewell | 3,095 | 49.31% | 3,085 | 49.16% | 87 | 1.39% | 9 | 0.14% | 40.95% | 6,276 |
| Isle of Wight | 12,000 | 64.26% | 6,565 | 35.16% | 91 | 0.49% | 17 | 0.09% | 61.95% | 18,673 |
| James City | 21,048 | 52.50% | 18,836 | 46.98% | 186 | 0.46% | 21 | 0.05% | 64.70% | 40,091 |
| King and Queen | 2,112 | 64.77% | 1,130 | 34.65% | 18 | 0.55% | 1 | 0.03% | 61.53% | 3,261 |
| King George | 7,286 | 68.09% | 3,317 | 31.00% | 91 | 0.85% | 7 | 0.07% | 56.68% | 10,701 |
| King William | 6,286 | 73.33% | 2,247 | 26.21% | 33 | 0.38% | 6 | 0.07% | 63.49% | 8,572 |
| Lancaster | 3,448 | 58.71% | 2,406 | 40.97% | 16 | 0.27% | 3 | 0.05% | 64.96% | 5,873 |
| Lee | 6,372 | 87.60% | 882 | 12.13% | 18 | 0.25% | 2 | 0.03% | 47.78% | 7,274 |
| Lexington | 775 | 37.30% | 1,289 | 62.03% | 10 | 0.48% | 4 | 0.19% | 50.28% | 2078 |
| Loudoun | 71,467 | 44.17% | 89,390 | 55.25% | 803 | 0.50% | 134 | 0.08% | 57.31% | 161,794 |
| Louisa | 11,649 | 66.04% | 5,896 | 33.43% | 87 | 0.49% | 7 | 0.04% | 62.60% | 17,639 |
| Lunenburg | 3,019 | 65.67% | 1,567 | 34.09% | 11 | 0.24% | 0 | 0.00% | 57.41% | 4,597 |
| Lynchburg | 13,668 | 54.89% | 11,000 | 44.17% | 198 | 0.80% | 35 | 0.14% | 45.53% | 24,901 |
| Madison | 4,721 | 70.17% | 1,973 | 29.33% | 29 | 0.43% | 5 | 0.07% | 66.37% | 6,728 |
| Manassas | 5,050 | 44.67% | 6,155 | 54.44% | 87 | 0.77% | 14 | 0.12% | 49.09% | 11,306 |
| Manassas Park | 1,379 | 38.34% | 2,158 | 59.99% | 46 | 1.28% | 14 | 0.39% | 41.45% | 3,597 |
| Martinsville | 1,676 | 42.48% | 2,224 | 56.38% | 40 | 1.01% | 5 | 0.13% | 44.61% | 3,945 |
| Mathews | 3,493 | 71.56% | 1,363 | 27.92% | 18 | 0.37% | 7 | 0.14% | 67.70% | 4,881 |
| Mecklenburg | 7,922 | 65.81% | 4,075 | 33.85% | 37 | 0.31% | 3 | 0.02% | 53.54% | 12,037 |
| Middlesex | 3,703 | 65.97% | 1,860 | 33.14% | 47 | 0.84% | 3 | 0.05% | 65.24% | 5,613 |
| Montgomery | 17,041 | 51.96% | 15,355 | 46.82% | 377 | 1.15% | 22 | 0.07% | 53.82% | 32,795 |
| Nelson | 4,259 | 55.46% | 3,346 | 43.57% | 64 | 0.83% | 11 | 0.14% | 65.23% | 7,680 |
| New Kent | 8,569 | 71.02% | 3,439 | 28.50% | 52 | 0.43% | 6 | 0.05% | 66.93% | 12,066 |
| Newport News | 21,241 | 39.14% | 32,399 | 59.69% | 588 | 1.08% | 48 | 0.09% | 44.66% | 54,276 |
| Norfolk | 18,888 | 31.45% | 40,324 | 67.14% | 789 | 1.31% | 60 | 0.10% | 43.96% | 60,061 |
| Northampton | 2,650 | 50.34% | 2,584 | 49.09% | 27 | 0.51% | 3 | 0.06% | 55.11% | 5,264 |
| Northumberland | 4,167 | 63.95% | 2,312 | 35.48% | 37 | 0.57% | 0 | 0.00% | 64.79% | 6,516 |
| Norton | 866 | 71.99% | 320 | 26.60% | 13 | 1.08% | 4 | 0.33% | 47.70% | 1203 |
| Nottoway | 3,497 | 64.57% | 1,892 | 34.93% | 24 | 0.44% | 3 | 0.06% | 56.89% | 5,416 |
| Orange | 10,670 | 66.23% | 5,351 | 33.22% | 80 | 0.50% | 9 | 0.06% | 59.09% | 16,110 |
| Page | 7,594 | 78.92% | 1,995 | 20.73% | 28 | 0.29% | 5 | 0.05% | 57.41% | 9,622 |
| Patrick | 5,946 | 82.14% | 1,255 | 17.34% | 32 | 0.44% | 6 | 0.08% | 57.37% | 7,239 |
| Petersburg | 1,207 | 13.50% | 7,591 | 84.87% | 141 | 1.58% | 5 | 0.06% | 38.61% | 8,944 |
| Pittsylvania | 19,543 | 75.31% | 6,319 | 24.35% | 76 | 0.29% | 12 | 0.05% | 58.02% | 25,950 |
| Poquoson | 4,897 | 77.75% | 1,364 | 21.66% | 32 | 0.51% | 5 | 0.08% | 66.33% | 6,298 |
| Portsmouth | 9,946 | 33.34% | 19,513 | 65.41% | 355 | 1.19% | 19 | 0.06% | 44.73% | 29,833 |
| Powhatan | 12,582 | 76.86% | 3,721 | 22.73% | 58 | 0.35% | 10 | 0.06% | 69.69% | 16,371 |
| Prince Edward | 3,876 | 54.40% | 3,210 | 45.05% | 36 | 0.51% | 3 | 0.04% | 53.63% | 7,125 |
| Prince George | 8,548 | 64.65% | 4,577 | 34.62% | 84 | 0.64% | 13 | 0.10% | 54.60% | 13,222 |
| Prince William | 64,658 | 42.20% | 87,352 | 57.01% | 1,111 | 0.73% | 97 | 0.06% | 50.22% | 153,218 |
| Pulaski | 9,631 | 74.06% | 3,277 | 25.20% | 88 | 0.68% | 9 | 0.07% | 55.72% | 13,005 |
| Radford | 2,266 | 54.03% | 1,879 | 44.80% | 44 | 1.05% | 5 | 0.12% | 44.70% | 4,194 |
| Rappahannock | 2,507 | 59.45% | 1,686 | 39.98% | 19 | 0.45% | 5 | 0.12% | 68.59% | 4,217 |
| Richmond County | 2,225 | 69.90% | 936 | 29.41% | 20 | 0.63% | 2 | 0.06% | 56.80% | 3,183 |
| Richmond | 15,713 | 19.61% | 61,929 | 77.27% | 2,409 | 3.01% | 91 | 0.11% | 51.03% | 80,142 |
| Roanoke County | 28,157 | 65.70% | 14,445 | 33.70% | 220 | 0.51% | 37 | 0.09% | 59.61% | 42,859 |
| Roanoke | 12,024 | 41.25% | 16,817 | 57.70% | 272 | 0.93% | 34 | 0.12% | 45.28% | 29,147 |
| Rockbridge | 6,906 | 68.89% | 3,071 | 30.64% | 40 | 0.40% | 7 | 0.07% | 63.52% | 10,024 |
| Rockingham | 26,765 | 75.31% | 8,569 | 24.11% | 182 | 0.51% | 23 | 0.06% | 64.32% | 35,539 |
| Russell | 8,229 | 84.83% | 1,452 | 14.97% | 17 | 0.18% | 3 | 0.03% | 51.16% | 9,701 |
| Salem | 6,144 | 64.29% | 3,344 | 34.99% | 60 | 0.63% | 8 | 0.08% | 54.34% | 9,556 |
| Scott | 7,065 | 86.89% | 1,034 | 12.72% | 28 | 0.34% | 4 | 0.05% | 51.83% | 8,131 |
| Shenandoah | 13,693 | 74.64% | 4,535 | 24.72% | 107 | 0.58% | 11 | 0.06% | 58.26% | 18,346 |
| Smyth | 8,477 | 82.55% | 1,751 | 17.05% | 35 | 0.34% | 6 | 0.06% | 51.88% | 10,269 |
| Southampton | 5,084 | 64.90% | 2,717 | 34.68% | 29 | 0.37% | 4 | 0.05% | 60.69% | 7,834 |
| Spotsylvania | 32,478 | 59.84% | 21,426 | 39.47% | 346 | 0.64% | 29 | 0.05% | 53.76% | 54,279 |
| Stafford | 31,680 | 55.00% | 25,463 | 44.20% | 425 | 0.74% | 35 | 0.06% | 54.13% | 57,603 |
| Staunton | 4,640 | 47.49% | 5,004 | 51.21% | 119 | 1.22% | 8 | 0.08% | 55.60% | 9,771 |
| Suffolk | 17,351 | 47.26% | 19,079 | 51.96% | 252 | 0.69% | 34 | 0.09% | 53.79% | 36,716 |
| Surry | 1,768 | 50.00% | 1,756 | 49.66% | 9 | 0.25% | 3 | 0.08% | 63.39% | 3,536 |
| Sussex | 1,973 | 49.02% | 2,028 | 50.39% | 24 | 0.60% | 0 | 0.00% | 57.08% | 4,025 |
| Tazewell | 12,045 | 86.59% | 1,821 | 13.09% | 40 | 0.29% | 4 | 0.03% | 50.34% | 13,910 |
| Virginia Beach | 86,973 | 53.62% | 73,965 | 45.60% | 1,160 | 0.72% | 99 | 0.06% | 50.63% | 162,197 |
| Warren | 11,294 | 71.85% | 4,328 | 27.53% | 89 | 0.57% | 8 | 0.05% | 53.64% | 15,719 |
| Washington | 17,395 | 79.08% | 4,505 | 20.48% | 78 | 0.35% | 18 | 0.08% | 57.11% | 21,996 |
| Waynesboro | 4,473 | 56.94% | 3,275 | 41.69% | 99 | 1.26% | 9 | 0.11% | 53.02% | 7,856 |
| Westmoreland | 4,614 | 60.55% | 2,971 | 38.99% | 30 | 0.39% | 5 | 0.07% | 55.91% | 7,620 |
| Williamsburg | 1,703 | 34.54% | 3,185 | 64.59% | 40 | 0.81% | 3 | 0.06% | 49.68% | 4,931 |
| Winchester | 4,137 | 48.69% | 4,294 | 50.54% | 60 | 0.71% | 5 | 0.06% | 48.16% | 8,496 |
| Wise | 9,691 | 83.90% | 1,796 | 15.55% | 53 | 0.46% | 11 | 0.10% | 47.86% | 11,551 |
| Wythe | 9,458 | 81.78% | 2,043 | 17.67% | 59 | 0.51% | 5 | 0.04% | 56.43% | 11,565 |
| York | 17,485 | 58.59% | 12,190 | 40.85% | 150 | 0.50% | 16 | 0.05% | 60.79% | 29,841 |
* Republican — >15%
* Republican — +12.5−15%
* Republican — +10−12.5%
* Republican — +7.5−10%
* Republican — +5−7.5%
* Republican — +2.5−5%
* Republican — +0−2.5%
* Democratic — +0−2.5%
* Democratic — +2.5−5%
* Democratic — +5−7.5%
* Democratic — +7.5-10%
* Democratic — +10−12.5%
* Democratic — +12.5−15%
* Democratic — >15%

#### Counties and independent cities that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Chesapeake (independent city)
* Chesterfield (no municipalities)
* Hopewell (independent city)
* Montgomery (no municipalities)
* Northampton (no municipalities)
* Prince Edward (no municipalities)
* Radford (independent city)
* Surry (no municipalities)
* Virginia Beach (independent city)

### By congressional district

Youngkin won 6 of 11 congressional districts, including two that were held by Democratic U.S. representatives at the time. He also flipped Virginia's 2nd congressional district which was previously won by Ralph Northam in 2017.
| District | Youngkin | McAuliffe | Blanding | Representative |
| 1st | 58.6% | 40.7% | 0.7% | Rob Wittman |
| 2nd | 53.7% | 45.5% | 0.8% | Elaine Luria |
| 3rd | 37.0% | 61.9% | 1.1% | Bobby Scott |
| 4th | 42.6% | 55.9% | 1.5% | Donald McEachin |
| 5th | 59.7% | 39.7% | 0.6% | Bob Good |
| 6th | 66.0% | 33.3% | 0.7% | Ben Cline |
| 7th | 55.0% | 44.3% | 0.7% | Abigail Spanberger |
| 8th | 26.8% | 72.5% | 0.8% | Don Beyer |
| 9th | 74.6% | 24.8% | 0.8% | Morgan Griffith |
| 10th | 47.4% | 52.0% | 0.6% | Jennifer Wexton |
| 11th | 32.6% | 66.6% | 0.8% | Gerry Connolly |

## Analysis

Youngkin won the election, 50.6% to 48.6%. The margin of victory was the narrowest margin in a Virginia gubernatorial election since 1989. McAuliffe conceded the day after the election and congratulated Youngkin, saying he was "proud" to campaign "for the values we so deeply believe in". Republicans also flipped the lieutenant governor and attorney general races that were held concurrently, as well as took control of the Virginia House of Delegates. This election, as well as the concurrent elections for lieutenant governor and attorney general, marked the first time since the 1969 gubernatorial election that a Republican won Virginia without Loudoun County, and the first time since the 1960 presidential election that a Republican won statewide without Prince William County. This is the first time Surry County backed the Republican candidate since John Warner's largely uncontested re-election in 2002 and the first time Prince Edward County or Northampton County voted Republican since 2009. This is also the first time any Virginia statewide candidate has won without at least one of the three Northern Virginia counties of Loudoun, Prince William, Fairfax, or the independent cities therein. Over 3.28 million votes were cast, exceeding the 2017 gubernatorial election total by roughly 625,000 and exceeding all other previous Virginia gubernatorial elections by over a million.
Youngkin's victory is attributed to the "Youngkin coalition" of largely Trump supporters and suburbanites which contributed to a Republican victory in the state. The appeal to suburban voters, who have shifted away from the Republican Party as Donald Trump increasingly influenced it, was attributed to Youngkin's distancing from Trump and hesitancy to openly embrace him. Youngkin's performance in the suburbs near Washington, D.C. were stronger than that of Trump's margins in the 2020 United States presidential election. During the final days preceding the general election held on November 2, Youngkin campaigned in the Washington metropolitan area suburbs of Northern Virginia. Previous similar attempts to combine a coalition of Trump supporters and suburban voters, including Ed Gillespie's run for governor in 2017, were met with failure. Youngkin's victory was consistent with gubernatorial candidates of the opposing party as the incumbent president usually winning in Virginia, with the notable exception of McAuliffe's victory in 2013.

### Voter demographics

Voter demographic data was collected by CNN. The voter survey is based on exit polls completed by voters in person as well as by phone.
2021 Virginia gubernatorial election (CNN) :
| Demographic subgroup | Youngkin | McAuliffe | % of total vote |
| Ideology ||||
| Liberals | 6 | 93 | 23 |
| Moderates | 39 | 60 | 41 |
| Conservatives | 93 | 7 | 36 |
| Party ||||
| Democrats | 4 | 96 | 36 |
| Republicans | 97 | 3 | 34 |
| Independents | 54 | 45 | 30 |
| Gender ||||
| Men | 56 | 44 | 48 |
| Women | 46 | 53 | 52 |
| Race/ethnicity ||||
| White | 62 | 38 | 73 |
| Black | 13 | 86 | 16 |
| Latino | 32 | 66 | 5 |
| Asian | 33 | 67 | 3 |
| Gender by race ||||
| White men | 66 | 34 | 36 |
| White women | 57 | 43 | 37 |
| Black men | 13 | 86 | 7 |
| Black women | 14 | 86 | 9 |
| Latino men (of any race) | N/A | N/A | 2 |
| Latino women (of any race) | 23 | 75 | 3 |
| Other racial/ethnic groups | 38 | 62 | 5 |
| Age ||||
| 18–24 years old | 47 | 52 | 5 |
| 25–29 years old | 43 | 54 | 5 |
| 30–39 years old | 47 | 53 | 13 |
| 40–49 years old | 51 | 48 | 18 |
| 50–64 years old | 52 | 48 | 34 |
| 65 and older | 55 | 45 | 26 |
| 2020 presidential vote ||||
| Biden | 5 | 95 | 48 |
| Trump | 98 | 2 | 44 |
| Education ||||
| Never attended college | 61 | 38 | 15 |
| Some college education | 58 | 41 | 24 |
| Associate degree | 58 | 42 | 12 |
| Bachelor's degree | 44 | 55 | 25 |
| Advanced degree | 40 | 60 | 24 |
| Education by race ||||
| White college graduates | 47 | 52 | 37 |
| White no college degree | 76 | 24 | 36 |
| Non-white college graduates | 25 | 75 | 11 |
| Non-white no college degree | 20 | 79 | 15 |
| Education by gender/race ||||
| White women with college degrees | 39 | 61 | 18 |
| White women without college degrees | 74 | 25 | 19 |
| White men with college degrees | 55 | 44 | 19 |
| White men without college degrees | 78 | 22 | 17 |
| Non-white | 22 | 77 | 27 |
| Issue regarded as most important ||||
| Taxes | 68 | 32 | 15 |
| Economy | 55 | 44 | 33 |
| Education | 53 | 47 | 24 |
| Coronavirus | 16 | 84 | 15 |
| Abortion | 58 | 41 | 8 |
| Abortion should be ||||
| Legal | 26 | 73 | 58 |
| Illegal | 87 | 13 | 37 |
| Region ||||
| DC Suburbs | 36 | 64 | 29 |
| Central Virginia | 59 | 40 | 18 |
| Hampton Roads | 46 | 54 | 15 |
| Richmond/Southside | 50 | 50 | 18 |
| Mountain | 70 | 30 | 20 |
| Area type ||||
| Urban | 32 | 67 | 21 |
| Suburban | 53 | 46 | 60 |
| Rural | 63 | 36 | 19 |