Allen defeats Democrat incumbent in Virginia

George Allen

(CNN) -- Former Gov. George Allen defeated Democrat incumbent Sen. Chuck Robb tonight in Virginia. Republicans saw Virginia as their best chance to defeat an incumbent.

This race between two former governors was close, expensive and rancorous. Both parties, seeing the seat as vulnerable, pumped millions of dollars into the race.

"Virginians have voted for honoring the promise of Social Security and creating more and better jobs in this dynamic, silicon dominion," declared Allen in his victory speech.

He also promised his supporters to work hard for "our common-sense, Jeffersonian, conservative principles."

"I won't forget that there are a lot of good common-sense answers to problems right out here in the real world, because common sense is not all that common up in Washington," he said.

Allen also had praise for his opponent's two decades of service as lieutenant governor, as governor and, for the last 12 years, as United States senator.

"I want to say thank you to Senator Robb and the entire Robb family for their years of service and sacrifice for this commonwealth and our nation," he said.

The styles of the two candidates resembled that of the presidential race. Republican Allen has a folksier-style compared to the stiffer, drier Democratic Robb.

Allen told voters he would "trust the people" as he pushed for an across-the-board tax cut.

Robb countered that Allen's tax cuts would threaten Social Security, education and the surplus.

Gun control and abortion also polarized the race, with Democrats urging voters to pick the gun control candidate and the National Rifle Association warning that Democrats would take away the right to own a firearm.

The incumbent Robb is the only Democrat to be elected to the Senate from Virginia since 1970.