Double blow to Obama as Republicans win governorships of Virginia and New Jersey

Republicans have secured victories in two key US elections for governor, in Barack Obama's first electoral test since being voted in a year ago.

In Virginia, Republican candidate Bob McDonnell won by a comfortable margin. Another Republican, Chris Christie, defeated the Democrat governor in New Jersey, traditionally a Democrat stronghold.

Meanwhile, the mayor of New York, independent candidate Michael Bloomberg, narrowly won a third term over Democrat challenger Bill Thompson.

Local issues have been of fundamental importance in these elections, but analysts say that the wins could boost Republican party morale in the run up to mid-term ballots in 2010. The double victory reverses a trend of Democratic victories stretching back to 2005.

The New Jersey defeat is particularly painful for the Democrats, after Obama traveled repeatedly to the state to back defending governor Jon Corzine on the campaign trail.

Obama was the first Democratic candidate to win in Virginia since 1964. Independent voters who supported the president last year switched their support to the Republican party candidate in this race.

David Plouffe, Obama's former campaign manager, warned against reading too much into the results. He told NBC that: "The results of these elections tend to be over-read.

"These are local races. There's 18,000 lifetimes between now and next November."

 

 

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