Part of the problem Earle-Sears is facing is “the challenge of running as a Republican in a state that has been significantly impacted by President Trump’s federal cutbacks,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington.
“Special elections are known for a low turnout,” said Dr. Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington. “One thing you can look for in this is to what extent does northern Virginia’s anger over Trump’s policies generate higher turnout.”
“There’s an old saying that all politics is local, but I really think that what you’re considering in the 11th district of Virginia is all politics is national,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.
University of Mary Washington Political Science Professor Stephen Farnsworth predicted at the time of the veto back-and-forth this spring that the dispute “could end up in the courts like just about everything else these days.”
But Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, said the shift in the campaign’s focus shows that its previous strategy wasn’t working. “It’s tough for Republicans to run on the economy right now … hence the pivot,” Farnsworth said. “Candidates who are polling well don’t need to develop new strategies.”
“So much has changed in Virginia politics over the last 25 years, and those changes all work against events like Buena Vista,” said Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. “For the dwindling Richmond press corps, it’s a very expensive proposition to make the trek. For the candidates, it’s not clear there’s a lot of value in going if there’s no coverage,” said Farnsworth who, before his 32 years as a professor, reported for the Kansas City Star.
