(LATEST NEWS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST)
Many local issues and candidates on the ballot but two top tier races in this off year election the contests for Governor in two states.
The one getting worldwide attention seen as a referendum on Joe Biden the Virginia Governor's race between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin.
Voters also electing the next Governor of New Jersey incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy versus Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
As we watch the results come in we can use a point spread comparison to last year's Presidential Election.
In Virginia Joe Biden at 54.1 percent and Donald Trump at 44 percent last November. (10.1 advantage Biden-Democrats)
In New Jersey Biden at 57.3 percent and Trump at 41.4 percent last November. (15.9 advantage Biden-Democrats)
The Republican and Democrat numbers in these governor's races lets see how they match up to those numbers last year for President.
(845 PM EASTERN US TIME)
60 Percent of the vote counted in Virginia with Glenn Youngkin at 54.8 percent and Terry McAuliffe at 44.5 percent.
In Loudoun County where Joe Biden won with 61.54 percent of the vote last year to Donald Trump's 36.51 percent the vote tonight with 98 percent in is Terry McAuliffe 55 percent, Glenn Youngkin 44.5 percent there has been a shift a clear shift away from Biden and the Democrats tonight.
The vote in the heavily Democrat City of Richmond still held back at this point.
The vote also lagging in heavily Democrat Fairfax County outside Washington DC around 31 percent counted so far.
In New Jersey eight percent of the vote in with incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy at 59.3 percent and Republican Jack Ciattarelli at 40 percent.
Downticket in Virgina Winsome Sears Republican with 55.3 percent to Democrat Haya Ayala with 68.6 percent of the precincts reporting...
(9 PM EASTERN US TIME)
Back in New Jersey with 10 percent of the vote in its Democrat Phil Murphy at 57 percent with Republican Jack Ciattarelli picking up steam at 42.1 percent.
Here's what I see in Virginia the Lt. Governor count is ahead of the Governor count.
71.3 percent of the vote for Lt. Gov Republican Winsome Sears 55.3 percent and Democrat Hala Ayala 44.7 percent.
Only 64 percent of the vote for Governor counted as of now.
OUT FOR A DOG WALKING ROUTINE AROUND HOME TONIGHT COMING BACK...
(930 PM EASTERN US TIME)
You tell me where Democrats can find the votes to win in Virginia tonight.
For Governor 74 percent of the vote in Glenn Youngkin at 54 percent and Terry McAuliffe at 45.4 percent.
40 percent of the vote now counted in Richmond McAuliffe with a 2-1 edge there but not enough to make a difference IMHO.
On the south side of Richmond Chesterfield County it went 52.45 percent for Biden with Trump at 45.77 percent last year.
Now with 90 percent of the vote in we have Glenn Youngkin at 55.4 percent and McAuliffe at 43.8 percent in Chesterfield County.
Over to New Jersey I see 26 percent of the vote in and look what I see at 49.5 percent Phil Murphy Democrat incumbent and slightly ahead at 49.7 percent Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
(10 PM EASTERN US TIME)
Did they wake Joe Biden up for these results?
Well at least there's still a Democrat Mayor in New York Eric Adams the Establishment Democrat beats Republican Curtis Sliwa media personality and Guardian Angels founder....
Now to New Jersey 39 percent of the vote counted Jack Ciattarelli Republican leading 49.9 percent to incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy's 49.3 percent. The Ciattarelli lead just six thousand votes.
In Virginia 82 percent of the vote in with Glenn Youngkin at 52.8 percent and Terry McAuliffe at 46.5 percent at 170,000 vote lead for Youngkin.
I guess the storage room votes are being emptied right now we have 87 percent in for the Virginia Governor's race its Republican Glenn Youngkin still up almost 134,000 votes....
that is 52 percent for Youngkin and 47.3 percent for Terry McAuliffe.
Its looks like the whole GOP ticket for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General have won in Virginia tonight...
I have Lt. Governor numbers and they are strangely ahead of the Governor numbers 90.9 percent in with Hana Ayala Democrat creeping up to 47.9 percent of the popular vote and Winsome Sears Republican at 52.1 percent. In raw numbers a 115,000 vote lead for the Republican.
So I guess once we cross the 90 percent results for Governor in a few minutes they will have whittled Youngkin's lead down to 115,000 voted.
How dirty will it get late tonight with this vote count?
NEW JERSEY REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR LEADING DEMOCRAT INCUMBENT PHIL MURPHY WITH 51 PERCENT OF THE VOTE COUNTED....
And that New Jersey count shows Ciattarelli at 50.9 percent and Murphy at 48.3 percent with the GOP lead almost 36,000 votes.
"I would like to thank my BASE for coming out in force and voting for Glenn Youngkin. Without you, he would not have been close to winning. The MAGA movement is bigger and stronger than ever before. Glenn will be a great governor. Thank you to the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia and most particularly to our incredible MAGA voters."
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP REACTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO GLENN YOUNGKIN'S WIN IN THE VIRGINIA GOVERNOR RACE...DONALD J TRUMP GAB
President Trump also congratulating Steve Bovo elected Mayor of Hialeah, Florida tonight in a separate post on Gab.
Lets keep the story in New Jersey going still plenty of votes in Newark as in Essex Country to be counted.
But with 55 percent of the statewide vote whoa its Republican Jack Ciattarelli at 51.4 percent to incumbent Democrat Governor Phil Murphy at 47.9 percent this is an almost 52,000 vote margin for Ciattarelli.
Ciatarelli up in Bergen County a big suburb of New York 55-45 percent with 40 percent of the vote there in.
All the votes in heavily Democrat Hudson County (Jersey City) said to be counted as of now.
Sussex County in northwestern New Jersey still out no votes yet.
And the same for Salem County in southwestern New Jersey.
Both these smaller counties voted for Donald Trump last year.
VOTE COUNT SLOWING DOWN DRAGGING OUT IN VIRGINIA WITH GOP LEAD SHAVED UNDER 100,000 VOTES IN THE LIEUTENTANT GOVERNOR'S RACE VOTE COUNT THAT IS AHEAD OF THE GOVERNOR'S RACE COUNT
They are giving us the votes for Lieutenant Governor in Virginia tonight before the Governor's vote catches up to it.
The "trick" of the vote counting tonight.
I see 93.2 percent in for Lieutenant Governor with Republican Winsome Sears 51.3 percent 1,533,784 votes to Democrat Hala Ayala at 48.8 percent 1,459,516 votes.
The GOP margin whittled down to 74,000 votes.
Up at the top of the ticket its now been moved up to 94 percent of the vote as we reach 11 pm Eastern time....
For Governor of Virginia Republican Glenn Youngkin 1,548,019 or 50.7 percent and Democrat Terry McAuliffe 1,486,260 or 48.6 percent.
They whittled Youngkin's lead to about 62,000 votes.
Some other issues on the ballot today the notion of replacing the Police Department in Minneapolis with a "Department of Public Safety" going down to defeat.
Here in Pennsylvania where we supposedly narrowly voted for Joe Biden while electing two Republicans to statewide office last year the GOP was running in statewide judicial races.
The Republicans leading those contests at this point.
But votes out including here in York County only the mailed in votes favoring the Democrats counted so far.
THE NEW JERSEY RACE FOR GOVERNOR THE LATEST: MOST ESSEX COUNTY VOTES DUMPED REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE STILL LEADING
Heavily Democrat Essex County has put 90 percent of its votes into the count but Jack Ciattarelli still leading 50.3 percent to incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy's 49 percent or a 25,000 vote lead.
74 percent of the vote is in.
Sussex County which leans GOP started a trickle of its votes a smaller county but 61-38 Ciattarelli there.
Little Salem County holding back its votes in southwestern New Jersey that's a Republican county as well.
Its now 1150 pm Eastern time here in the USA I see the Virginia Governor vote count at 96 percent its Republican Glenn Youngkin at 51.1 percent or 1,593,637 votes and Democrat Terry McAuliffe at 48.2 percent or 1,501,747 votes.
That's almost a 92,000 vote margin for Youngkin. What dark corner can anymore votes for McAuliffe be found?
You see almost 3.1 million votes in that count some third party stuff added but 4 percent of the total some 125,000 outstanding votes we estimate and Youngkin leading by 92,000.
But the game goes on as we pass the Midnight Mark.
They say only 94 percent of the vote is in now.
We are told its Youngkin at 1,606,389 or 51.2 percent and McAuliffe at 1,508,760 or 48.2 percent.
Its still about 98,000 votes more for Youngkin but the vote counting pool has been enlarged so to speak because they claim six percent is out.
Out in mainstream media land the exit poll gave McAuliffe a 52 percent unfavorable rating how can be win based on that.
But they hang on hoping to pull it out and delaying saying Joe Biden has suffered a defeat in Virginia the Democrats have been trounced.
At 1215 AM calling it a night to get some sleep....
ONE EXTRA NOTE AFTER 1230 AM CNN PROJECTING GLENN YOUNGKIN THE WINNER OF THE GOVERNOR'S RACE IN VIRGINIA.
(6 AM WEDNESDAY UPDATE)
The vote count in New Jersey this morning a close one after 84 percent of the vote is said to have been rolled out.
Votes still missing from Camden and Essex counties which favor Democrat incumbent Phil Murphy.
,Jack Ciattarelli Republican 1,173,558 49.7 percent
Phil Murphy Democrat 1,172,365 49.6 percent
And finally...the unpopularity of Joe Biden and the "Lets Go Brandon" MAGA Trump voters all add up to higher Republican totals and Democrat defeats.
Joe Biden only 43 percent favorable with Virginia voters his unpopularity a drag probably keeping some Democrats home on Election Day.
But the high intensity enthusiasm of the Trump supporting Biden trashing voters causing them to show up in greater numbers than Democrats.
The MSM pundits crediting Youngkin with his win in Virginia trying to marginalize the "Trump factor".
The disillusionment of the Democrats over Biden and the enduring passion of Trump supporters helped Younkin to win big time.
IN VIRGINIA GLENN YOUNKIN DECLARED THE WINNER FOR GOVERNOR AS WELL AS THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WINSOME SEARS...
IN NEW JERSEY THE VOTE REGARDLESS OF THE WINNER MORE EVIDENCE OF DEMOCRAT-BIDEN DISILLUSIONMENT AND TRUMP MAGA 'LETS GO BRANDON' SPIRIT
They'll drill the concrete to get Jimmy Hoffa's vote if they have to but Phil Murphy likely to get a narrow win when its all said and done in New Jersey.
The fraud of elections is always around the edges heck Youngkin had a 150,000 vote lead whittled down below 100,000 with those marginal late votes in Democrat strongholds.
In New Jersey the Democrats have that kind of vote to fall back on and right now they have 10 percent or more of the precincts in Camden and Essex counties to find an edge in the tens of thousands of votes.
At the end a recap with 89 percent of the New Jersey vote counted Phil Murphy incumbent Democrat 1,199,614 or 49.9 percent and Jack Ciattarelli Republican 1,184,723 or 49.3 percent.
Donald Trump last year 41.4 percent of the popular vote and Joe Biden 57.3 percent in New Jersey so you can see how dramatic the shift was.
That's it for the election special post.
