Tuesday’s result provides more evidence that Biden’s win last year had more to do with Trump fatigue than a rejection of Trumpian policies. Exit polling on Tuesday found that Trump remains unpopular. A recent Post-Schar School poll found that 7 in 10 likely voters said Youngkin’s ideas and policies were similar to Trump’s. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for Youngkin. It is Trump who’s unpopular, not his policies.

Exit polling also found that slightly more Virginians said they voted to oppose Biden than to support him. If Democrats are wise enough to engage in some deep introspection about their future following Tuesday’s results, they might ask Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) to lead the discussion, while sending Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) out for sandwiches.

In future elections, not every Republican will be lucky enough to have an opponent say aloud that parents should stay out of decisions involving their children’s education. Instead, Republicans will have to rely on the rest of the Youngkin blueprint, which is particularly applicable in swing states: Embrace Trump’s populism and many of his programs, while keeping the man himself in the background.