RICHMOND, Va. -- Governor Glenn Youngkin (R - Virginia) appeared on the CBS News Election Night special to discuss election results in Virginia and around the country. Below is a transcript of his interview.
Norah O'Donnell
We're joined now by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia. Governor, good to see you. Thank you for joining us.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin
Sure, Norah, great to be with you and it's an exciting day across the country and in Virginia, we've been working hard.
I've thought from the beginning that the road to the majority in the House was going to go through our 2nd District and it sure looks like Jen Kiggans is going to pull that one off.
Norah O'Donnell
Well, I know you were with Kevin McCarthy, just last night campaigning there in that district. But what about those two other races?
What's happening in Virginia, some Republicans were confident that they could win all three congressional districts [2nd, 7th, 10th]?
Gov. Glenn Youngkin
The momentum has felt really strong.
I think the 7th is still leaning towards Yesli [Vega] and I am pretty confident we'll win there and Hung [Cao] has run a very good race against Jennifer Wexton and I think folks will be a little disappointed there because we really felt there was great momentum.
But Jen [Kiggans] is doing great in the 2nd and we look forward to sending her to Congress. And I think Yesli Vega is going to pull a big, big upset here.
[Editor's Note:The Associated Press declared Spanberger as the winner at approximately 10:45 p.m.]
By the way that the Hispanic vote is the big message.
And to see what's happened with the Hispanic vote across Virginia, we won it last year, and to see the Hispanic vote really break that way. And then, of course, we've seen what's happened in Florida in Miami Dade County with the Hispanic vote being the big differentiator. And I think that's the big message tonight is to see this, this glacial shift in this demographic across America.
Gayle King
It sounds like President Trump is gearing up for another presidential run.
He says he has a big, big, very, very, very big announcement for us next week.
Would you welcome that?
I realize it's his decision.
But would you welcome that?
Gov. Glenn Youngkin
That's going to be his decision.
I think that all focus should be on today's election and the outcome of that.
I just think anybody who's focused in on 2024 tonight, just maybe have their focus on the wrong area.
I think tonight is all about these Congressional, Senate races, Governor races, school board races, sheriff races, city council races. And I think we are going to continue to see a very strong night for Republican candidates across the country, because Republicans have been focused on those key common sense solutions to the issues that voters care about inflation, education, crime, and the border.
These issues tend to consistently break Republican ways. I think people trust Republican governors to deliver.
We'll see Republican governors do very well in reelection. And we'll see a few states flipped tonight with Republican candidates replacing incumbent Democrats.
John Dickerson
Governor, but in the 7th District, you won I believe, by 11 points.
It's an awful atmosphere for Democratic candidates. Why is it so close? Given all the things you've just said, it seems like there's something else going on if a Congressional district that you won by 11 points, is a nail-biter.
Glenn Youngkin
Well, I actually won that Congressional district by about five to six.
And it was awfully close last year, we had a great turnout and in a huge press last year across the entire Commonwealth, and I think we're seeing Yesli do well in the 7th, as I said, I think she'll win.
Listen, Abigail Spanberger is the incumbent and it's tough to displace an incumbent and to see Yesli run such a strong campaign, I think speaks very strongly to in fact, the strength of her campaign and voter support in the 7th.
Norah O'Donnell
Well, Governor Younkin thank you for joining us and