As Katie reported, Lieutenant Governor-elect Winsome Sears is the first woman and first black woman to hold the office. She's also a Marine and an immigrant from Jamaica. But that wasn't the narrative many in the mainstream media took.
Curtis Houck with NewsBusters highlighted how MSNBC did not acknowledge Sears' historic win until after Youngkin gave his victory speech, immediately following Sears' victory speech. They also failed to do so throughout the night.
I know none of this will shock you, but MSNBC and its esteemed co-hosts Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid, and Nicolle Wallace haven't mentioned that @WinsomeSears will be the first female and woman of color lieutenant governor of Virginia and @JasonMiyaresVA will be the first Latino VA AG
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 3, 2021
To his credit and immediately after @GlennYoungkin's victory speech, MSNBC's @AliVelshi talked about @WinsomeSears and her historical significance of being the first woman and person of color to hold statewide office in Virginia. #VAgov #VAltgov pic.twitter.com/txts4Htwj3
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 3, 2021
Virginia also elected Jason Miyares as attorney general, who defeated incumbent Mark Herring, a Democrat. Miyares is the commonwealth's first Latino attorney general. He's also the son of an immigrant from Cuba.
MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace and Joy Reid were especially relentless in harping on Critical Race Theory (CRT), dismissing parental concerns as "racist" and claiming it isn't taught in Virginia schools.
This is INSANE.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 3, 2021
MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace: "Critical Race Theory, which isn’t real, turned the suburbs 15 points to the Trump insurrection endorsed Republican." pic.twitter.com/ARppUNUuGy
Thread ?? ???? https://t.co/6M95wpCkId
— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid ?? (@JoyAnnReid) November 3, 2021
.@JoyAnnReid: Glenn Youngkin's #Virginia gubernatorial campaign coded racial hysteria into its ‘critical race theory’ hype. #reiders https://t.co/2H1Plzmgrq
— The ReidOut (@thereidout) November 3, 2021
Characteristically trenchant analysis of the VA election from Joy Reid: the main issue was [scare quotes] education, “which is code for white parents don’t like the idea of teaching about race.” If Democrats like losing, they should listen to her. #VAgov pic.twitter.com/ArOqIGmKju
— Christopher J. Scalia (@cjscalia) November 3, 2021
As I reported over the weekend, however, the Virginia Department of Education website promotes CRT.
Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin, also a Republican, made education a priority during the campaign trail. Exit polls revealed education was a top issue. Fox News found that 25 percent said CRT was the single most important issue. Among these voters, 70 percent favored Youngkin. Additionally, 72 percent of voters said CRT was an "important" issue.
Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D-VA), who served from 2014-2018 and lost against Youngkin in his bid to serve once more, repeatedly used the same talking points that raising concerns about CRT was a "racist dog whistle," including during his Sunday appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Several of Sears' campaign emails emphasized how McAuliffe was referring to her as a racist, then.
Houck also highlighted a Monday segment on MSNBC where University of Virginia Professor Larry Sabato also noted that Republicans were fixating on the "race" component of CRT, as did Spencer.
.@LarrySabato says, if @GlennYoungkin wins, it'll be b/c of white power & accepting lies: "The operative word is...race. That is what matters...There's a lot of...white backlash, white resistance, whatever you want to call it...We live in a post-factual era[.]" #VAgov pic.twitter.com/33KQvZNVkV
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 1, 2021
Many others took note of the significance of Sears' win and how much it destroyed this narrative, as "White Supremacy" trended on Twitter.
"[It's] nothing short of a parents revolution that cuts across political divides. It’s the ultimate cross-over movement, multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-party...contrary to [MSM] & Democrat attempt to portray it as a white supremacy movement — it’s a parental supremacy movement https://t.co/LHK08Zp5CF
— Nicole Solas Domest Terrorist MILFederally Charge (@Nicoletta0602) November 3, 2021
Thank you white women for electing a black female Lieutenant Governor and a Hispanic Attorney General.
— Anita ???? (@youngbiafra) November 3, 2021
But but but wHiTe SuPrEmAcY ??
The left: Look! White supremacy won in Virginia last night!
— The Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) November 3, 2021
The current Dem Governor: pic.twitter.com/Z68viCn6wT
If Virginia has such a Republican white supremacy problem, how is it that the first Republican Black LT governor and first Republican Latino AG was just elected?
— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) November 3, 2021
White supremacy is looking more diverse than the party of diversity LMAO
— Gay Toad (@GayToad2) November 3, 2021
“Everything I don’t like is white supremacy!” is an extremely asinine and lazy response to the Democratic Party’s failures. Democrats are the reason Democrats had a bad night last night. Period.
— Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) November 3, 2021
White supremacy wins, or something! pic.twitter.com/L7u8LLKlYa
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) November 3, 2021
Fellow media members: If your take on #VAGov is white supremacy won out—which is asinine on its face given the election of our first black LG and first Hispanic AG—you need to reassess your involvement and pick a new career.
— Gabriella Hoffman (@Gabby_Hoffman) November 3, 2021
As Matt highlighted, The Atlantic's Jemele Hill chalked up the GOP victory to "white supremacy."
It’s not the messaging, folks. This country simply loves white supremacy.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) November 3, 2021
Sears' staff responded from their Twitter account.
We beg to differ. https://t.co/2MDhbQNbMH pic.twitter.com/vOU1vmD8AX
— Team Winsome Sears (@WinWithWinsome) November 3, 2021
Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean attributed it to "racism."
.@LarrySabato says, if @GlennYoungkin wins, it'll be b/c of white power & accepting lies: "The operative word is...race. That is what matters...There's a lot of...white backlash, white resistance, whatever you want to call it...We live in a post-factual era[.]" #VAgov pic.twitter.com/33KQvZNVkV
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 1, 2021
Chandelis Duster, writing for CNN, did acknowledge the significance. Her headline read that "Winsome Sears will become Virginia lieutenant governor, CNN projects, becoming first female and woman of color in the office." Her reporting touched upon an exchange between Sears and her Democratic opponent, Hala Ayala:
Ayala congratulated Sears on making history and "paving the way for future women leaders who look like us."
"We may not be able to claim victory today, but we know that the results of this election are simply a minor setback in our larger fight for progress," Ayala said in a statement Wednesday thanking her supporters.
She also wished Sears "luck and success" when the two spoke on Wednesday, Lauren Chou, communications director for Ayala's campaign, told CNN.
Had Ayala won, her election would also have been historic, as Ayala describes herself as "Afro-Latina, Lebanese and Irish."
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