McDonnell win buoys GOP hopes

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By Sarah Abruzzese and David C. Lipscomb

Robert F. McDonnell handily defeated R. Creigh Deeds in Virginia's gubernatorial election Tuesday night as Republicans swept the state's top three offices and ended nearly a decade of Democratic dominance at the top of the ticket.

Mr. McDonnell, a former attorney general, captured strong support from independents and voters in the Northern Virginia exurbs of Prince William and LoudoUn counties that had been key to President Obama's unexpected victory in the state in 2008.

With 83.4 percent of the vote counted, Mr. McDonnell led Mr. Deeds 60.1 percent to 39.7 percent, a sizable victory that came just days after Mr. Obama tried to help the flagging Deeds campaign by campaigning with him. The presidential visit didn't seem to have much impact on voters, and the Deeds loss lessened Democrats' optimism that Virginia might be trending toward being a swing state in future elections.

Republican Kenneth T. Cuccinnelli II captured the attorney general's race and Bill Bolling won re-election as lieutenant governor. It was the first time since 1997 that Republicans captured all three top jobs.

Mr. McDonnell's victory continues a trend that has seen Virginia's governor elected from the opposite party as the president since 1977. But early Tuesday the Republican declined to discuss whether the gubernatorial race was a referendum on the Obama administration.

"I'm going to let other people, the experts, make those kinds of decisions," Mr. McDonnell said. "I decided early on we knew that the fiscal issues that faced Virginia were the ones that voters were most concerned about: jobs, the economy, transportation, energy prices, tuition increases and so forth."

Shortly after 7 p.m. an upbeat crowd of Republican revelers began to stream into the downtown Richmond Marriott ballroom were celebrations were taking place. Supporters held a multitude of signs, from "Bob's 4 Jobs" to "McDonnell Governor."

The crowd of about 500 supporters erupted in cheers and waved their signs when Mr. McDonnell was declared the winner. About 20 minutes later, the cheers sounded again when television news broadcasters announced Mr. Bolling and Mr. Cuccinelli's victories.

Meanwhile, the mood was subdued at the Democratic watch party for Mr. Deeds at the Westin Hotel in Richmond.

At 7:30, when the party was to have started, just a couple dozen supporters had trickled into the ballroom while others gathered in the hotel's hallways. A few people chatted quietly around tables in the ballroom.