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ABC News projects Democrat Abigail Spanberger will win the closely watched governor's race, besting Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and becoming the first woman elected governor of Virginia. There are also closely watched races for lieutenant governor and attorney general. With just under half of the expected vote reporting, Spanberger, a former U.S. representative who had maintained a consistent lead in the polls leading up to Election Day, was leading Earle-Sears by about 10 points -- 55% to 44%. Republicans had hoped to keep the governorship -- currently held by term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin -- in their hands, while Democrats aimed to capitalize on backlash to federal government layoffs, which have been deeply felt in Virginia. The results of the Virginia gubernatorial election -- which comes in an election off-year -- is viewed as a political bellwether for competitive races in the midterms the following year. The governor's race is of particular interest this year because Virginia is home to more than 300,000 federal workers, many of whom were likely affected by efforts made by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency to slash the federal workforce and the current government shutdown. According to preliminary ABC exit poll data, about half of Virginia voters said that the economy was the most important issue facing the Commonwealth, and most Virginia voters said federal government cuts are affecting their finances. Spanberger’s win may be seen as a referendum on Trump's second term in a state that he lost three times by considerable margins. Both candidates discussed issues such as energy, education, and immigration enforcement on the trail and during their debate in October. Down the ballot, Republican candidate and radio host John Reid is facing Democratic candidate state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi in the race for lieutenant governor, which is voted on separately from governor. In the race for attorney general, Jason Miyares, the Republican incumbent, is facing off against Democratic candidate and former House of Delegates member Jay Jones. Jones faced calls from Republicans to drop out of the race in October after Jones' recent texting scandal, in which he was revealed to have called for violence against a Republican lawmaker. Jones has apologized for the texts and said he will be "accountable for my mistakes."
