Youngkin falls short in his mission to win total GOP control of Virginia state legislature

Democrats will retain control of the Virginia state Senate and flipped the state House of Delegates from Republicans, according to Associated Press projections, despite GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin's attempts to win total GOP control of the state legislature.

The AP projects at least 21 Democrats have been elected to the state Senate and 51 Democrats have been elected to the state House of Delegates. It's unclear how strong the Democratic majority will be in each chamber.

Virginia's legislative elections grabbed outsized national attention, with both Democrats and Republicans spending millions on the races, which were viewed in political circles as a key barometer ahead of the 2024 elections for president and control of Congress.

Republicans in Virgnia won elections for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general two years ago – their first statewide victories in a dozen years – and they flipped the House. The victories in a state that had trended blue over the previous decade energized Republicans nationwide.