MSNBC and Fox News have projected Hillary Clinton will win the state of Virginia after a far closer than expected contest there.
In the early returns Tuesday night, with Donald Trump running closer than expected, Virginia was suddenly an imperative win for Clinton. At one point in the night, Democratic strategist James Carville said on MSNBC that without Virginia, Clinton could have lost the election.
Heading into election day, Virginia had been considered to be a safe state for Clinton. TPM’s PollTracker had Clinton up five points in the state and her Vice President Tim Kaine had served as a popular governor and senator there.
The real race was happening between urban and rural areas where turnout was far higher than expected. What few anticipated was that Trump could turn out enough voters in less dense counties to come close to Clinton’s lead in a place like densely populated Fairfax County in suburban Washington, D.C..
With Virginia so close and with Trump already having won Ohio, it could be a long night and a far closer election than most predicted.
