The White House on Wednesday took a victory lap after Democratic wins in Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio state elections, framing it as a validation of the president’s platform.
“President Biden’s values and agenda won big across the country last night,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing with reporters. “In Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, voters once again sided with President Biden’s agenda.”
“We have always said that voting matters and polls do not,” she added. “Our focus is going to remain [on] our work to grow the economy, lower costs for families and protect fundamental freedoms against dangerous agendas that are out of touch with the American people.”
Democrats won control of both chambers of the state Legislature in Virginia, dealing a significant blow to Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) won reelection in a reliably red state. And in Ohio, voters approved constitutional amendments to ensure access to abortion and to legalize marijuana in the state.
Tuesday’s elections were the latest sign that Democrats continue to see strong turnout and results following the June 2022 Supreme Court decision that reversed Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed abortion access nationwide.
Biden’s aides and allies embraced Tuesday’s results as vindication for his agenda and role as leader of the Democratic Party.
They were particularly giddy about the outcomes given extensive media coverage that had been dedicated in recent days to New York Times and CBS News polls that showed Biden trailing former President Trump in hypothetical 2024 match-ups.
“In hundreds of races since Donald Trump’s conservative Supreme Court appointments overturned Roe v. Wade, we’ve seen Americans overwhelmingly side with President Biden and Democrats’ vision for this country,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement. “That same choice will be before voters again next November, and we are confident the American people will send President Biden and Vice President Harris back to the White House to keep working for them.”