Takeaways from Tuesday’s elections: Bad omens for Democrats

A supporter of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe walks away from a screen displaying votes at an election party in McLean, Va., Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. Voters are deciding between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) A supporter of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe walks away from a screen displaying votes at an election party in McLean, Va., Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. Voters are deciding between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI / Associated Press November 3, 2021 6 min read

The off-year elections for governor in Virginia and New Jersey tend to receive outsize attention, and the results are mined for deeper meaning about what they portend for the midterm elections the following year that determine which party controls Congress.

Here are some key takeaways from Tuesday’s elections:

DEMOCRATS SEE WORST FEARS IN VIRGINIA

Democrats’ worst fears are that they’re on course for a 2010-like drubbing in next year’s midterm elections and that they can’t use the specter of former President Donald Trump to stop it.

Those fears got a lot stronger after Republican Glenn Youngkin won the governor’s race in Virginia.