Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in Virginia¡¯s closely watched governor¡¯s race on Tuesday, dealing a blow to U.S. President Joe Biden and Democrats¡¯ hopes to keep control of Congress in next year¡¯s elections.

Youngkin was projected to win the race, according to television networks, including NBC and CNN. The results highlighted a stunning collapse by McAuliffe, a former governor and Democratic party chairman who led in the polls throughout the summer in a state that Biden won by 10 percentage points over former President Donald Trump just last year.

A political newcomer and former co-CEO of Carlyle Group Inc., Youngkin successfully used Trump¡¯s playbook of focusing on culture-war attacks in the vast, rural parts of Virginia. But in the booming suburbs, Youngkin distanced himself from the former president.