Democrats were dealt a devastating defeat in the Virginia governor's race, further eroding President Biden's political standing and reinforcing Donald Trump's continuing clout.
hello and welcome to the lead. i m pamela brown in for jake tapper. the president will be speaking any moment on vaccines for children. we ll bring that to you live as soon as that happens. but first, we begin with our politics lead. and a kick in the donkey for democrats. the new jersey governors race still too close to call. democratic incumbent phil murphy holding a slim majority over republican ciattarelli. republican glenn youngkin sailing to victory in the virginia governors race. youngkin s win proves that a republican can embrace donald trump s voters but hold trump himself at arm s length. former governor terry mcauliffe s loss is a huge blow for democrats and a warning sign for next year s midterms. cnn s arlette saenz reports democrats are eager to assign blame. reporter: republicans riding high after election night. all righty, virginia!