REPUBLICANS PICK UP GOVERNORSHIPS IN VA., N.J.

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster called Tuesday night’s gubernatorial election in Virginia “a referendum on President Barack Obama.” And that is was… as was the election of New Jersey’s governor.

Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell defeated Democrat Creigh Deeds 59-41 percent to put an end to a decade of leftward trending there.

“We had independents and Democrats that came over to support us,” McDonnell said. “First and foremost, we are all Virginians and we are all Americans.”

Republicans swept the elections in the Commonwealth, also winning the lieutenant governor’s office and the attorney general’s office.

In New Jersey, GOP candidate Chris Christie stunned incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine with a 49-45 percent victory.

“Times are extraordinarily difficult, but I stand here tonight full of hope for our future, full of hope and dreams,” Christie told supporters during his victory speech

Obama won both Virginia and New Jersey during last year’s election with 52.7 percent and 56.8 percent of the vote, respectively.

The only big win for Democrats came in New York, where Bill Owens defeated Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the state’s 23rd Congressional District special election. The Republican nominee in that race, Dede Scozzafava, dropped out last week and endorsed Owens.

In another key Empire State race, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg won a third term, carrying 51 percent of the vote.