CNN is projecting that Democrat Barack Obama will win Virginia and its 13 electoral votes.
With 97.4 percent of precincts reporting, Obama has 1,769,471 votes, 50.11 percent, to Republican Mitt Romney’s 1,705,156 votes, 48.29 percent.
Romney built up a big early lead in the reporting as numbers from western and central Virginia were the bulk of those reported in the first three hours after the close of polls at 7 p.m. Obama surged to victory on the strength of his showing in Northern Virginia, Richmond and the Hampton Roads area.