A Republican sweep of state offices in Virginia, including Republican Glenn Youngkin’s win over Democrat Terry McAuliffe, could push a number of House Democrats to retire, fearful of what the race means for the political winds in 2022.

Virginia’s off-year gubernatorial election is often viewed as a barometer for the mood of the country for the midterm elections, though its reliability in that respect is mixed. In the last five cycles dating back to 2001, the party that gained in the House matched in midterm elections that of who won the Virginia governor’s race three times.