Interviews with voters leaving polling stations in Virginia showed that independents - the crown jewel of elections because they often determine outcomes - broke heavily for Republican Bob McDonnell, fleeing Democrat R. Creigh Deeds.
Exit polls showed that nearly a third of voters in Virginia during the day described themselves as independents and they preferred the Republican to the Democrat by almost a 2-1 margin.
It was a reversal of a year ago when independents in the pivotal swing state and across the country tilted heavily toward the Democrats, fueling Obama's White House victory.
In another troubling omen for Democrats, the surveys also showed that more of the Virginians who turned out on Tuesday said they supported Republican John McCain in 2008 than said they backed Obama. That suggests the Democrats had difficulty turning out their base, including the swarms of first-time minority and youth voters whom Obama attracted as part of his diverse coalition.
After more than a year of recession, the exit polls showed that the economy trumped all other issues for voters.
More than four in 10 voters in Virginia said their view of Obama factored into their choice on Tuesday. People who said they disapprove of Obama's job approval voted overwhelmingly Republican, and those who approve of the president favored Deeds, the Democrat.
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