“I think it’s important to note that that funding gap will narrow now that the legislative session is over,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “Now that the lieutenant governor is a Republican nominee, I imagine some Republicans were waiting for a resolution of the nomination process before weighing in with donations.”
“Virginia voters usually rally behind the party that lost the White House in greater numbers when they vote for governor a year later,” Dr. Stephen Farnsworth, the director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, told the Washington Examiner.
“This is the best-case scenario for both of these candidates. When you are thinking about running for a statewide office in Virginia, it is best not to have a primary,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington.
Political scientist Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington sees this as part of a larger trend. He said when parties become more ideologically rigid, lawmakers from swing districts can start to feel squeezed. “This is a constant problem,” Farnsworth said. “For years, Congress had what they called the Blue Dog Caucus, where more moderate Democrats tried to chart a different course than the party leadership.”
By Stephen Farnsworth and Anders Barretta
Republicans seeking to win the Virginia gubernatorial election this November certainly have been making things harder for themselves.
Washington Republicans often complicate gubernatorial election years for their fellow partisans, and this year is no exception. In the past, Virginia Republicans faced congressionally debated — or mandated — federal government shutdowns and cutbacks. But none of these past hurdles can compare to the impacts of President Trump’s sweeping cutbacks and the widespread economic uncertainty of federal workers and contractors this year.
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said the absence of a gubernatorial primary gives both major candidates a strategic edge heading into November. “This is the best case scenario for both of the candidates,” Farnsworth said.
