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(CNN) Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the Virginia governor's race Tuesday night, CNN projects, rolling back progressive gains in Virginia as he became the first Republican to win statewide office in the commonwealth since 2009.

McAuliffe's loss in a state that President Joe Biden won by double digits last year showed the enormous challenges that Democrats are facing next year as they attempt to maintain control of the US House and Senate. McAuliffe, who served as governor from 2014 to 2018 in a state that does not allow successive terms, had struggled to find a message that would galvanize Democrats at a time when Biden's approval ratings have sagged and the party has been unable to deliver a clear message amid bickering over the President's agenda in Congress.

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