On Tuesday, Nov. 2 citizens all over Virginia voted in the 2021 General Elections. The political positions being voted on ranged from Governor to House of Delegates members for the 26th district here in the Harrisonburg area. 

Election cycles always bring their own set of topics that are at the forefront of the debates. In this election, the issues most discussed were education reform, COVID-19 recovery, criminal justice reform, the economy, and healthcare in Virginia. Voters in Virginia had three candidates, as well as a write-in option, to choose from for the next Governor of Virginia: Terry R. McAuliffe (Democrat), Glenn A. Youngkin (Republican), and Princess Blanding (Libertarian). 

All candidates had their own unique ideas for moving Virginia into a more prosperous and overall more pleasant place for citizens. Youngkin communicated his goal to empower parents and have them be more involved in their children’s education and curriculum. McAuliffe campaigned on working towards lowering prescription drug prices and providing quality healthcare for all Virginians. Blanding focused her campaign on tackling the issue of affordable housing for Virginians and resolving issues in Virginia’s criminal justice system. 

Each candidate also vocalized promising ideas during their time campaigning and it would be ideal to see all their best ideas implemented to best serve Virginians. However, the very tight race for Virginia’s next governor came to a close early morning on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, Glenn A.Youngkin was officially nominated as the next Governor of Virginia receiving 1,660,723 votes, with McAuliffe receiving 1,582,995 votes and Princess Blanding receiving 22,530 votes. 

First-year Jason Dwyer, President of the Young Conservatives Club on campus, is particularly excited about the results of the Governor’s race. Dwyer shared that he is “particularly interested and excited about Glenn Youngkin’s plan for Virginia’s educational system as well as his plan to cut taxes and help put more money back into the pockets of Virginians.” 

Three other important races included on the Virginia ballot were Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and House of Delegates-26th District. In the Lieutenant Governor Race, Republican nominee Winsome Sears received 1,657,046 votes and Democratic candidate Hala Ayala received 1,590,721 votes. For the Attorney General race, Democratic nominee Mark Herring received 1,604,099  and Republican nominee Jason Mayaries received 1,647,137 votes. 

Back in early September, the Young Democrats Club at EMU was able to meet House of Delegate candidate Bill Hesley while he was campaigning. Senior Philip Krabill, an active member of the Young Democrats Club, was glad he was able to meet him. Although “disappointed in Hesley’s loss over, was inspired by him,” Philip also communicated, “ It is important to not just stop at the poles when advocating for the positive change you would like to see and continuing to advocate your representatives.”