It is always tempting to draw national conclusions from local elections, even more so in a gubernatorial election held in the White Houses backyard the year after a presidential election. All the more reason to start an analysis of Tuesdays Virginia governor's race with the man most responsible for the outcome: Glenn Youngkin.
Youngkin is a political newcomer who has proven to be a disciplined, effective, and energetic campaigner. After winning the Republican primary by making election integrity a top issue, Youngkin steadily worked under the radar to unite a fractured Virginia Republican Party that had not won a statewide election since 2009.
At times, it may have seemed Youngkin was running an invisible campaign with little presence on television outside of glossy personal biography ads that portrayed him as a congenial, fleece vest-wearing suburban family man. But........