AP Race Call: Democrat Abigail Spanberger elected Virginia governor

WASHINGTON AP Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the governor s race in Virginia on Tuesday defeating Republican Winsome Earle-Sears Spanberger will succeed Republican Gov Glenn Youngkin who is not allowed to run for a second consecutive term Her success aligns with current voting patterns in Virginia which picks its governors the year after a presidential voting process and tends to elect someone of the opposite party of the president Spanberger a former occurrence officer with the CIA flipped a U S House seat in Northern Virginia in and retired from Congress in to run for governor She will be the state s first female governor The Associated Press declared Spanberger the winner at p m EST Source