Close Elections Around United States

On November 2, voters in the state of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Virginia cast their votes in this year’s gubernatorial elections. In New Jersey, Phil Murphy, the Democratic incumbent, held his seat, while the Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin carried Virginia after a close and highly contentious race against Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate.

In the gubernatorial election in New Jersey, Governor Murphy’s victory was narrow, which surprised many pollsters who predicted a decisive win for the incumbent. Some attribute this unexpected result to rising conservative sentiments regarding key issues, such as Covid-19 policies and President Biden’s lower-than-expected popularity. 

Murphy acknowledged the unanticipated Republican turnout in his victory speech, saying, “If you want to be governor of all of New Jersey, you must listen to all of New Jersey. And New Jersey, I hear you.”

Another surprising turn of events also occurred in New Jersey, where Republican Ed Durr, a truck driver for Raymour & Flanigan, unseated Democrat Stephen Sweeney, the longest-serving state senate president in New Jersey’s history. Durr’s campaign went viral for its low budget, using a cellphone for campaign ads, and spending only $2,300 during the entire campaign on travel expenses and Dunkin’ Donuts.

Virginia’s surprise result came after a hard-fought campaign, with its fair share of controversy. Perhaps the most influential of these controversial moments was when McAuliffe seemed to imply that parents should have a minimal role in their children’s education. 

“I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach,” McAuliffe said.

In spite of most polls predicting a narrow lead for McAuliffe, several controversial social issues such as critical race theory and abortion motivated Youngkin’s supporters and narrowed the gap between the two candidates, paving the way for Youngkin’s victory.

In his victory speech, Youngkin referenced renewing the education system, which according to NPR was one of the most pertinent issues among likely voters, with job creation being listed as the most important. 

Youngkin announced: “Our kids can’t wait, we work in real people time, not government time. And so on day one, we’re going to work. We’re going to restore excellence in our schools. We will invest the largest education budget in the history of the Commonwealth. We’re going to invest in teachers, new facilities, special education. We’re going to introduce choice within our public school system.”

Throughout the election, Catholic leaders voiced their opinions and gave reflections on the candidates. When considering the main issues Catholics should consider, the bishops of Richmond and Arlington, Barry C. Knestout and Michael F. Burbidge, respectively, released a joint statement outlining three foundational principles Catholics must take into account: “[1] Many issues are important, [2], not all issues have equal moral weight, [3] protecting life is paramount.”

The bishops went on to issue a call for “unity and peace”, saying, “We are blessed to live in a country where we have the freedom to elect our leaders. At the same time, we know that politics have become more divisive and destructive in our communities and even, at times, within our families. Our unity and peace must be founded in and inspired by the healing power of Jesus Christ. May we bring his truth, peace, and unity with us to the ballot box in this election, and always.“