Black voters in Virginia refuse to be blamed for a major Democratic defeat.

Politics|Black voters successful Virginia garbage to beryllium blamed for a large Democratic defeat.

• Nov. 3, 2021, 11:58 a.m. ET

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Democrats crossed Virginia expressed profound disappointment connected Wednesday aft Republicans romped to an improbable triumph successful the governor’s race, an ominous motion for the Democratic Party up of adjacent year’s midterm elections.

But 1 radical refused to beryllium blamed for the party’s mediocre showing: Black voters and elected officials.

Fears astir Black turnout and a deficiency of enthusiasm did not materialize successful Tuesday’s results, arsenic erstwhile Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, ran adjacent to expected totals successful the state’s majority-Black areas. Instead, Black authorities leaders and voters who backed Mr. McAuliffe said the results were a motion that the enactment could not trust connected number voters to screen its cratering totals successful much achromatic areas of the state, peculiarly successful agrarian communities that voted heavy for Glenn Youngkin, the Republican businessman who won the governor’s race.

“I judge that Black voters are easy the archetypal people for erstwhile things don’t spell for however they privation it to go,” said Marcia Price, a subordinate of the Virginia House of Delegates who won re-election.

“It’s a trash instrumentality to look astatine america and not the middle,” she said. “The mediate said Youngkin is much palatable than Trump and they were consenting to instrumentality a accidental with him.”

Ms. Price’s words bespeak a consciousness among the state’s Black governmental people that communities of colour are often blamed erstwhile Democrats lose.

At the grass-roots level, voters successful Newport News besides said that their enactment for Mr. McAuliffe did not mean they were satisfied with the show of Democrats successful Washington.

Several voters cited a vigor advertisement that had been playing connected section stations saying Black voters should not backmost Mr. McAuliffe due to the fact that Democrats cared astir Black communities lone during predetermination season. They rejected the ad’s plea to enactment location but said the wide taxable resonated, and they urged Democrats successful Congress to walk bold authorities connected President Biden’s halfway run promises, including clime change, constabulary betterment and economical investments successful Black communities.

“A batch of radical are upset with Biden,” said William Joyner, a 54-year-old Democrat. “We person precocious state prices. Everything is truthful costly close now.”

He added, “Biden made promises to Black radical helium hasn’t kept yet.”

Tony McCright, 68, who besides voted for Mr. McAuliffe, said determination was a consciousness among Black voters that they were voting for Democrats lone retired of necessity.

“Republicans are blessed to travel unneurotic to bash the incorrect thing,” Mr. McCright said, “but Democrats ne'er travel unneurotic to bash the close thing.”