Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said he doesn’t expect Stimpson to upset Howell. But Farnsworth predicted a Stimpson victory would make the already-conservative GOP state lawmakers veer sharply to the right. Farnsworth said tea party-backed Dave Brat’s historic upset over then-U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a GOP primary last year coupled with a Stimpson victory would send a message difficult for any GOP pol to ignore.
“It would mean even less cooperation in Richmond and it would mean even fewer moderates in the state legislature,” he said.
