• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
PoliticsPolling

McAuliffe vs. Youngkin: These charts show where Virginia’s governor race stands as voters hit the polls

By
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
Former Real Estate Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lance Lambert
Lance Lambert
Former Real Estate Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 2, 2021, 9:00 AM ET

On Tuesday, voters in Virginia will elect a replacement for outgoing Gov. Ralph Northam. They’ll choose between Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe, a former governor of Virginia, and Republican Glenn Youngkin, a businessman who spent 25 years in private equity at the Carlyle Group.

It won’t just be Virginians who are observing the outcome. In recent decades, gubernatorial races in Virginia—which happen the year following presidential elections—have become a closely watched spectacle by power players in both parties who are trying to figure out what the political landscape looks like before they head into the higher-stakes midterms. In 2013, McAuliffe’s slim +2.6 percentage point win in the blue state foreshadowed his party’s weak showing in the 2014 midterms. Meanwhile, the +8.9 point win by Northam in 2017 preceded a big win nationally by his Democratic peers in the 2018 midterms.

Republicans are hoping a strong showing in a state where Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by +10.1 points signals their ability to retake the House and Senate next November. While Democrats think a Northam win demonstrates they can hold on to their suburban gains even without Trump in office.

But where do things stand as voters head into the polls? To better understand, Fortune rounded up the latest polling and betting odds data in the following three charts.

In the final two weeks of October, nine pollsters dropped a reading of the race. When viewed together, they show a race that is, at least in terms of polling, in a dead heat.

Of those polls, McAuliffe leads in four. The bad news for Democrats? In those four polls—conducted by Christopher Newport University, USA Today, Roanoke College, and the Washington Post—he leads by only one point. That’s well within the margin of error. Meanwhile, Youngkin leads in three polls (conducted by Fox News, Trafalgar, and InsiderAdvantage), while the remaining two polls (Emerson and Monmouth) are a tie.

Just how close is the race? Of those nine polls, only one poll (the Fox News poll that has Youngkin up +8 points) is outside the margin of error range. Simply put, pollsters aren’t really certain who is ahead.

When the polls are aggregated, they show Youngkin leading by a razor-thin margin. According to RealClearPolitics’ polling average for the race, he’s up by +1.7 points over McAuliffe. But that will hardly make Youngkin’s team feel comfortable. After all, heading into the November election, Biden was ahead in the polling average in Florida (+0.9 points), and Trump was up in Georgia (+1 point). However, Trump would go on to win Florida by 3.3 points, while Biden took Georgia by 0.3 points.

What’s more certain is who has the momentum. When RealClearPolitics calculated the first polling average for the race on Aug. 17, McAuliffe commanded a +5.5 point edge. But that lead was erased by Oct. 28, when Youngkin overtook him in the polling average.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a candidate who didn’t say he or she was feeling confident heading into election night. (In that regard, the campaigns of McAuliffe and Youngkin are no exception.) That’s why it’s often better to look at the betting markets where investors—who have their money on the line—are a whole lot more honest.

As of the close of trading on Monday, Youngkin leads by a small margin in the betting market, according to PredictIt. But what’s more interesting might simply be the betting market’s trajectory: At the beginning of October, McAuliffe was running away with the betting odds. However, by Oct. 29, his betting market lead had vanished.

More politics coverage from Fortune:

  • Federal vaccine mandates could cost businesses millions per week
  • Florida Gov. DeSantis offers $5,000 bonus to lure anti-vax police from out of state
  • 3 states limit nursing home profits in bid to improve care
  • The latest meme stock in the Trump SPAC wave: Phunware
  • Pregnancy loss is common. Paid time off afterward is not

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories delivered straight to your inbox each morning.

About the Author
By Lance LambertFormer Real Estate Editor
Twitter icon

Lance Lambert is a former Fortune editor who contributes to the Fortune Analytics newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Politics

 Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump in Jan. 6 impeachment, loses primary as president retains grip on GOP — ‘that’s what you get’
PoliticsRepublican Party
 Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump in Jan. 6 impeachment, loses primary as president retains grip on GOP — ‘that’s what you get’
By Thomas Beaumont, Jack Brook, Stephen Smith and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
27 minutes ago
epstein on the right, deutsche bank logo, dollar bill butterflies, and christian sewing on the left in a collage
BankingJeffrey Epstein
‘The Butterfly Trust’: How Deutsche Bank maintained Jeffrey Epstein as a client until he was arrested
By Lily Mae LazarusMay 17, 2026
4 hours ago
U.S. allows Russia oil sales waiver to expire despite tight market
EnergyOil
U.S. allows Russia oil sales waiver to expire despite tight market
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy and BloombergMay 16, 2026
15 hours ago
U.S., Iran stall on Hormuz reopening as oil supplies tighten
PoliticsIran
U.S., Iran stall on Hormuz reopening as oil supplies tighten
By Skylar Woodhouse, Jeff Mason, Arsalan Shahla and BloombergMay 16, 2026
16 hours ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can ‘imagine a future without him’ — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
PoliticsRussia
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can ‘imagine a future without him’ — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
17 hours ago
Trump’s IRS suit may end with a $1.7 billion compensation fund
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trump’s IRS suit may end with a $1.7 billion compensation fund
By Zoe Tillman, Chris Strohm, Hadriana Lowenkron and BloombergMay 16, 2026
19 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
17 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
Future of Work
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
Future of Work
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
By Jacqueline MunisMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
22 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.