Democrat Terry McAuliffe wins Virginia governor's race

FAIRFAX: Democrat Terry McAuliffe eked out a narrow victory late Tuesday in the Virginia governor's race, US networks projected, in a contest which could have major implications for the 2016 presidential election.

McAuliffe's victory -- with 95 percent of precincts reporting, he was ahead 47.2 percent to 46 percent -- marks a stinging defeat for Republican Ken Cuccinelli, the state's attorney general whose campaign was backed by the Tea Party, the conservative movement that has been in the nation's political spotlight for its small-government, anti-tax positions.

The win could also serve as a potential talisman for President Barack
Obama's Democrats, who see an opportunity in Virginia's changing demographics and frustration with the Tea Party to make the traditionally Republican state one of the key battlegrounds of 2016.