Close Race For Virginia Governorship

Update 9:48 p.m. EST: NBC and Fox News have called the race for McAuliffe. With 91 percent of precincts reporting, the count is now McAuliffe 46.8 percent, Cuccinelli 46.5 percent and Sarvis 6.7 percent.

Sarvis will fail to meet the 10 percent mark that would have gotten the Libertarians a permanent ballot line.

Update 9:30 p.m. EST: McAuliffe has closed to gap to 3,000 votes. With 88 percent of precincts reporting, the count is now Cuccinelli 46.7 percent, McAuliffe 46.5 percent and Sarvis 6.8 percent.

Update 8:53 p.m. EST: Democrat Ralph Northam has handily won the lieutenant governor's race over Republican E.W. Jackson a conservative black minister, according to projections. The office is elected separately from the governor.

With 71 percent of precincts reporting, McAuliffe has closed the gap somewhat. Cuccinelli has 48.1 percent, McAuliffe 45.3 percent and Sarvis 6.9 percent.

Original story:

The Virginia governor’s race between Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe remained to close to call more than an hour after polls closed, networks said.

With 39 percent of precincts reporting, Cuccinelli had 50.4 percent, McAuliffe 42.5 percent and Libertarian Robert Sarvis 7.2 percent.

Exit polls, however, had McAuliffe slightly ahead.