ARLINGTON, Va. – Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the Virginia governor’s race , dealing a blow to the Republican Party ahead of consequential elections next year that will decide the balance of power in Congress during the final two years of President Donald Trump 's second term.

Spanberger is the first woman elected to lead the commonwealth.

Held in the year after the presidential election, Virginia’s gubernatorial election is viewed as one of the first tests of voter sentiment toward the new administration and the policy issues that have risen to the forefront of national politics. It’s also a bellwether for the midterms, which come next November.

This year’s race came amid Trump's return to the White House and a wide range of his

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