Across parts of northern Virginia, residents have mixed emotions following the choice for the commonwealth's next governor, Terry McAuliffe.
"I feel very happy today ... my candidates won!" said Sally Lay, of Woodbridge.
"I'm disappointed," Manassas resident Boni Worthley admitted. "I voted all Republican and I'm just disappointed."
"I'm really excited about it!" Sarah Longley said.
But that's not what Charlie Patullo felt.
"Pretty sad," he said. "I had a hard time watching the news this morning. I was a Ken Cuccinelli fan. I thought he'd do a good job for the commonwealth and I'm a little concerned."
On Wednesday, some voters in Prince William County told News4's Northern Virginia Bureau where they think the Republican Party is headed from here.
"People look at the tea party as very conservative, extreme and I don't think that's the direction the Republican Party should go," said Michelle Gogolkiewicz, of Manassas.
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Some Republican voters in Fairfax County agreed.
"What do you think this says about the GOP in Virginia? Do you think it's got to change or it's going to change?" News4 asked.
"Oh it has to," Terry McCarthy said. "[Chris] Christie in New Jersey is the solution. I mean, if the Republicans want to be a legitimate party, they have to change their act."
But Manassas resident Boni Worthley doesn't agree. She voted all Republican for the very values for which they stand.
"If we believe in what we say we believe in, that shouldn't really change, and even though it sometimes means we don't win elections, I think we still have represent what we believe in," Worthley said.
And for the commonwealth's sake she's trying to stay positive.
"We've lived through other Democratic governors and survived, so I just keep hoping for the best," she added.
But McAuliffe supporters say they're holding high expectations for the governor-elect. Tomika Pearson, of Herndon, voted for McAuliffe but is frustrated by political games.
She had a pretty clear message for the governor-elect: "Just do what you promised, and I don't know if that's a lot, but just try and listen to the people. That's all I can say."
