Voters across the Southeast went to the polls on Tuesday to elect mayors, legislators and a governor across the region.
In Virginia, voters picked Glenn Youngkin to be the governor, replacing Ralph Northam, who was term-limited out of office.
The campaign drew national attention, pitting former Gov. Terry McAuliffe against political newcomer businessman Youngkin.
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In a surprise upset, the Associated Press and several other new outlets early Wednesday projected Youngkin as the winner.
Virginia also had a few large bond issues on the ballot Tuesday.
Voters in Virginia Beach passed a bond referendum for $567.5 million to design and construct flood mitigation measures. The measure passed 73% to 27% and will increase real estate taxes to fund 21 flood protection projects that will take six to seven years to complete.
Voters in Fairfax County passed a bond referendum for $360 million to finance the costs of improvements for the school system. The measure was approved by a 68% to 32% margin.
In Florida, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez handily won a second term, defeating five little known challengers, getting over 78% of the votes cast.
First elected in 2017, he backed the $400 million municipal bond initiative called the “Miami Forever Bond,” which is aimed at supporting affordable housing and fighting rising sea level.
Suarez has been a proponent of positioning Miami at the forefront of the blockchain and cryptocurrency movement and has sought to attract high-tech and finance jobs from New York and California.
“Thank you, Miami,” he said Tuesday night at his victory party in the city. “And guess what — the magic is back!”
He plans to continue his vision for the city. “Today we embark on a new chapter,” he told the crowd. “A journey together to finish what we started — to create the most fair and most successful city in our country — a model that can be scaled into an agenda for America, bring prosperity and peace not only to Miami but to the entire nation.”
Suarez , who is a Republican, has been touted as a vice presidential candidate paired with possible candidate Nikki Haley in 2024. However, some reports have indicated he may want to run for president on his own. He didn’t support President Donald Trump in 2020.
Voters in Virginia picked a replacement for Gov. Ralph Northam, who was term-limited out of office.
In Atlanta, just as the home team Braves won baseball’s World Series, voters were deciding on a new mayor from among 14 contenders. The final decision will be decided in a Nov. 30 runoff election. In unofficial results, City Council President Felicia Moore was in the lead and will face off against either Councilman Andre Dickens or former Mayor Kasim Reed, who were close to each other in the tally.
Current Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms decided not to run again.
Looking ahead, on Saturday, Nov. 13, voters across Louisiana will go to the polls to decide on four constitutional amendments that could change the way taxes are structured and collected in the state and how the state budget is managed.