WASHINGTON - November 4 - Election results in Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Maine serve as a reminder that the Religious Right remains an influential force in political life, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

“I wish I could say the Religious Right is dead, but this election shows that reports of its demise are inaccurate,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director. “The pundits who announced the Religious Right’s demise in 2008 were simply wrong.

“Many factors played a role in the outcome of yesterday’s elections,” Lynn added, “so it’s important not to exaggerate the Religious Right’s influence. But at the same time, Americans need to know that this movement’s leaders are still influential in American politics. They haven’t given up on their crusade to impose their fundamentalist beliefs on everyone through government action.”

In Virginia, Republican Bob McDonnell won the governor’s office and GOP candidate Ken Cuccinelli won the attorney general’s post. Both men are close allies of the Religious Right. McDonnell is a graduate of Pat Robertson’s Regent University, and the TV preacher and his family made large contributions to McDonnell’s campaign. Cuccinelli is also a Religious Right favorite, drawing financial and logistical support from an array of Religious Right organizations.

In an interesting local race, incumbent Democratic Delegate Shannon Valentine apparently has lost to Republican Scott Garrett in a legislative district that includes Liberty University. Liberty Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. is attempting to forge students at the fundamentalist school into a voting bloc that can control all local elections. In unofficial results, Valentine seems to have lost by just over 200 votes. In the precinct that includes Liberty, voters went for Scott by a 1,964-324 margin. Liberty’s student newspaper ran many articles attacking Valentine, and Falwell arranged for copies of the newspaper to be sent to every household in Lynchburg in the days before the election.

In New Jersey, Republican Chris Christie won the governor’s office, defeating incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine. Although not known as a close ally of the Religious Right, Christie opposed same-sex marriage and drew support from the movement. FRC Action PAC, the overtly political arm of the Family Research Council, endorsed the GOP contender and provided financial support.

In New York, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, a Religious Right favorite, lost narrowly to Democrat Bill Owens in the 23rd Congressional District. But the Religious Right and other social conservative organizations won a pyrrhic victory in forcing moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava out of the race. Scozzafava supported gay rights and reproductive choice, two stands that are anathema to the movement.

In Maine, Religious Right organization joined forces with the Roman Catholic hierarchy to persuade voters to repeal a Maine law that extended marriage rights to same-sex couples. With returns incomplete, the repeal appeared to be winning by 53 to 47 percent. (The Religious Right was less successful in Washington State, where a domestic partnership law appeared to be narrowly winning approval from the voters.)