Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington, said local endorsements are valuable to presidential candidates, especially when there is a big field of candidates. “Any candidate trying to compete across the range of Super Tuesday states is going to have to divide their time in such a way that they can only make very brief appearances in any one state,” Farnsworth said. “That’s where a network of campaign volunteers for a successful House of Delegates or [Virginia] Senate candidate can make all the difference.”
