Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth shared his political expertise recently with a variety of media outlets, including Newsweek, Virginia Business, WTOP and more.  In an article titled “Five Senate Seats Most Likely to Flip from Republicans to Democrats in 2026," Farnsworth told Newsweek the Senate “seems more likely to remain in Republican hands than not.” “Democrats have good pickup opportunities in NC and ME—and perhaps an outside chance in Ohio. Even so, a very good election night for Democrats in the upper chamber would only bring the Senate to 50-50, with a Republican VP serving as the tie-breaker,” he said. Read more in Newsweek. 

Other media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Who will replace Kenyan McDuffie on DC Council? Here’s what we know so far (WJLA)
“You’re not going to see a lot of overlap perhaps with a Republican elected in the District and the Republican majority in the House, but it will be an entree potentially that would be greater than say, the Independent choice if the District goes in that direction,” explained Stephen Farnsworth, PhD, a University of Mary Washington professor of political science and international affairs who also heads the university’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. Read more in WJLA.

Youngkin’s term as governor marked by economic wins, political division (Virginia Business)
“Youngkin did what he had to do to win the governor’s election four years ago: Be somewhat … not critical of Trump, but also not full MAGA,” says Stephen Farnsworth, director for the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “As a candidate, he successfully threaded that needle. As governor, Youngkin became much more conservative than his campaign narrative would have suggested.” Read more in Virginia Business.

Best of 2025: Elections (FXBG Advance)
Abigail Spanberger ran away with the governor’s race in 2025, winning by a double-digit margin — rare in a state that is often considered “purple.” Stephen Farnsworth, a nationally recognized political observer and a professor at the University of Mary Washington, wrote in the Advance that the victory was the result of so-called second-wave suburbanization. Read more in FXBG Advance.

Virginia Gov. elect Abigail Spanberger fills cabinet, taps northern Virginia lawmakers (WSET)
Political scientists Stephen Farnsworth and Larry Sabato said it’s smart for Spanberger to have people from the legislature on her team. “Which is really, really important for a governor who didn’t serve in the legislature herself,” said Farnsworth. “The challenge of dealing with the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia has vexed many governors of both parties over the years, and so the more you can bring some of that expertise and connection in-house, the better off you are.” Read more from WSET.

What to watch as Virginia’s 2026 General Assembly returns to Richmond (Virginia Mercury; Yahoo News)
“This is not a normal opening act for a legislative session,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “Spanberger is setting the stage for an aggressive year one.” Read more from Virginia Mercury.

Tight money, big Democrat majority in House will shape 2026 General Assembly (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
In Virginia, Speakers of the House have a lot of power in the way they steer bills to particular committees, and the way bills they don’t like can land before one of the gatekeeping subcommittees that meet at 7:30 a.m., according to Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “You ignore your 10 extremists and just govern,” just as former Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, did when he had super- and near-super majorities, Farnsworth said. Read more from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The GOP Senate seats most likely to flip (MSN)
According to Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, the Senate “seems more likely to remain in Republican hands than not.” Read more from MSN.

Polls show likelihood Dems will flip the House (MSN)
Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington said Democrats are “very likely to take over the House,” citing strong candidate recruitment and Republican retirements. Farnsworth added that while Republicans may gain advantages through redistricting in some states, Democrats have countered those efforts in blue states, limiting the overall effect. Read more from MSN.

Va. Republicans split over extending Va. Republicans split over extending health care subsidies (The Free Lance-Star; Insurance News Net)
“The government has opened, but the Democratic narrative is still driving Washington politics,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. Read more from The Free Lance-Star.

Anti-“ICE” Protests Spread Across the U.S. (CTV News)
“It doesn’t seem that the Trump administration is looking at these protests as anything other than a reason to increase the efforts that ICE and other federal agencies are engaged in,” said Stephen Farnsworth. See on CTV News.

What to watch as Virginia’s 2026 General Assembly returns to Richmond (FXBG Advance; Williamsburg Yorktown Daily; Northern Virginia Daily)
“This is not a normal opening act for a legislative session,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “Spanberger is setting the stage for an aggressive year one.” Read more from FXBG Advance.

US Alliances and Rivalries (BFM 89.9, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Philip See sits down with Dr. Stephen Farnsworth, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, University of Mary Washington to talk about the state of US foreign relations in the wake of the attack on Venezuela and the capture of its President Nicolas Maduro, especially how the White House is viewing its alliances and rivalries. Read more from BFM.

Abortion, redistricting, data centers: What Va. lawmakers will prioritize during 2026 GA session (WTOP)
The focus, according to University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth, could be on making it easier to buy a house and increasing the minimum wage. “There are key issues with respect to what the legislature can do, though, because of the financial challenges Virginia faces,” Farnsworth told WTOP.

 

Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth recently presented a research paper, “Political Learning, Gutfeld! and the Audience for Late-Night Comedy,” at the annual meeting of the Northeastern Political Science Association in Philadelphia.

Media mentions for Farnsworth include:

LISTEN: Town Talk/Dr. Stephen Farnsworth (B101.5)
The University of Mary Washington’s Dr. Stephen Farnsworth joins us to break down the latest developments in Virginia politics, including the ongoing redistricting debate and what it could mean for future elections. We also examine Governor Youngkin’s political legacy and the challenges and opportunities facing Governor-elect Spanberger as she prepares to take office and more. Listen to the episode from B101.5.

New photos released from Epstein’s estate showing Trump, Bannon, Bill Clinton and other high-profile people (CTV News Canada)
Political analyst Stephen Farnsworth says the photos show ‘further evidence’ that Trump and Epstein were friends, but do not guarantee acceleration of the case. Read the full article from CTV News.

Political Analyst: Environment good for Dems as Warner announces reelection campaign (MSN)
“This environment is going to be a favorable one for Democrats, all indications are, and Mark Warner is one of the people who’s going to benefit, given the timing of when his term is up for reelection,” said Stephen Farnsworth, Director of the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. Read the full article from MSN.

Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth recently presented several public lectures reviewing the 2025 Virginia Elections, including presentations before the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, the  American Association of University Women (Fredericksburg, VA chapter), the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg.  

U.S. Congress Votes to Force Release of Epstein Files (CTV News)
“Well, I don’t think that this signature is going to necessarily amount to all that much to be honest. There is a good chance that many of the documents that people are interested in will be withheld by the Justice Department,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Watch the full segment on YouTube.

Virginia governor-elect Spanberger aims to use carrots, not sticks to build support for new housing (Homes.com)
“Particularly in urban areas of the state, there’s been this rapid escalation in home prices,” Stephen Farnsworth, who teaches political science at the University of Mary Washington, told Homes.com. “That creates all kinds of economic uncertainty for people who want to buy a house and wonder if they’ll ever be able to.” Read the full article from Homes.com.

Virginia youth vote helped spark largest Democratic win since 1961 (The Commonwealth Times)
Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, said it can be a challenge for candidates to connect with young people as the world changes rapidly. He said Spanberger was effective in connecting with younger voters by speaking about economic anxiety. Read the full article from The Commonwealth Times.

Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth recently presented a public lecture, “Surveying the Virginia Political Landscape: The Commonwealth’s 2025 Elections and the Policy Challenges of 2026,” at the Richmond World Affairs Council.

Media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Special Session Redistricting (WUSA TV)
“Yes, absolutely and there is a question as to if this is even legal, but in order for this to work the Democrats will have to pass the constitutional amendment before the election,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Read more.

Redistricting reversal: Virginia Democrats move to ditch bipartisan map, joining nationwide drive (Washington Times)
Mr. Trump looms large over Democrats’ reversal on redistricting, said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “Remember, Democrats are looking at the fact that Donald Trump, even now, refuses to accept that he lost the 2020 election,” Mr. Farnsworth said. “The world is very different when you think about the way that both parties accepted whether they won or lost elections before 2020.” Read more. 

What to know about the issues dominating the Virginia election (Washington Examiner)
“People are already anxious about the economic situation. The shutdown makes it much worse,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, previously told the Washington Examiner. Read more.

Virginia plan to redraw congressional map raises stakes for November races (Washington Post)
“The stakes for Democratic control of the [Virginia] House just increased,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “The last-minute effort will draw a lot of attention to the races around the commonwealth.” Read more.

Can Jay Jones Still Win? (Washingtonian)
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington, says the texts were shocking even by the jaded standards of modern politics and may have crossed a moral line that many Democrats—and Democratic-leaning independents—will find hard to ignore. Read more.

Virginia Election: A Fight Over Abortion and the Economy (La Presse, Montreal, Canada)
“There has always been a hesitancy in Virginia to put in place a structure that would allow for a concentration of power,” recalls Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. Read more.

Will Virginia’s race for governor be bellwether for congressional midterms? (WTOP)
“When you look at the election for governor of Virginia in this year, you really recognize that, at least right now, all politics are national,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. Read more.

Democrats crowd into Virginia’s 2nd District race as Kiggans faces mounting headwinds (Virginia Mercury)
“The 2nd District is probably the second most competitive district in Virginia, after the 7th District in the Fredericksburg area,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. Read more.

Trump Meeting with Zelenskyy at White House (CTV News)
“Well, I think it is clear that the relationship between the Ukrainian president and the American president is much stronger than it has been,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Read more.

Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth recently presented a keynote online lecture, “Shaping Tomorrow Today: Politics and Health Care Policy in Virginia in 2025,” at the Annual Conference of the Virginia Nurses Association in Richmond.   Media mentions for Farnsworth include:    

They Were Rising Democratic Stars. Then Came the Leaks. (Newsweek)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, told Newsweek that the fallout will likely have long-term consequences. “I expect that some Democrats will leave the AG line blank, which reduces the chances that Jones will win,” he said. “Even if he does win this time, Virginia Democrats are unlikely to forget his reckless behavior.” Read the article.

Government shutdown, text message scandal could reshape Virginia’s gubernatorial race (NPR)
“When you add up all those people who have directly or indirectly some downstream effect of federal employment, it is a very, very damaging environment for Republicans.” Read the article.

RECAP: Virginia governor nominees face-off in only debate before election day (WJLA)
Following the 7 p.m. debate, 7News’ Scott Thuman sat down with Dr. Stephen J. Farnsworth, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington, to analyze the controlled yet chaotic event. Read the article.

Shutdown Blame Game Seeps Into New Jersey, Virginia Elections (Bloomberg Government)
“The federal shutdown in Washington is a key part of campaign messaging for Democratic candidates across Virginia,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. Read the article.

 

Can Abigail Spanberger Make Politics Boring Again? (Washingtonian)
As Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, puts it: “If there are problems with performance on the other side, then competence can be your brand.” Read the article.

 

Trump calls for Jay Jones to step down over text message controversy (WUSA 9)
“If you think about how the world has changed, things that would have been disqualifying 30 years ago may not be disqualifying today,” said Dr. Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “The Democrats obviously want to talk about something else, and Republicans want to talk about nothing else. We’ll see who wins that framing battle moving forward.” Read the article.

Education helped fuel Youngkin’s win. How will it affect this year’s election? (The Washington Post)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said running on transgender issues is appealing to conservatives because Democrats have little room for defense without isolating more moderate voters since polling shows public opinion agrees with Republicans’ position. “One of the key strategies is to find issues where your side is united and the other side is divided,” Farnsworth said. Read the article.

‘No reason not to be all in’: is Saturday Night Live ready to meet a major political moment? (The Guardian)
“This would be one of the biggest, most important cold openings in the 50-year history of the show,” says Stephen Farnsworth, a co-author of Late Night With Trump: Political Humor and the American Presidency. “But in the past, when Saturday Night Live has faced a major challenge, like they did in the wake of 9/11, they’ve risen to the occasion.” Read the article.

Trump calls for Jay Jones to exit Virginia AG race over ‘bullets to the head’ texts (NBC Washington)
“We’re talking about votes already cast in Virginia. It seems to me that even if there was an idea that the Democratic Party should change courses, it’s way past mid-stream in this situation. Voting has been going on for a couple of weeks already in Virginia,” political analyst Stephen Farnsworth said. Read the article.

Trump joins other Republicans in calling for Jay Jones to exit Virginia race (The Washington Post)
“There’s simply no way to sugarcoat the candidate’s remarks. They were horrible. And the voters will determine whether they were unforgivable,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said Sunday. He noted that “the two other Democrats on the statewide ticket have both condemned these remarks, as they should.” Read the article.

Cole, Steinway offer contrasting stances, styles at UMW debate (Fredericksburg Free Press; FXBG Advance)
Democratic Del. Joshua Cole, who is running for re-election in the district that covers Fredericksburg and parts of Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, faced his GOP opponent, Sean Steinway, inside the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium. Thursday’s debate was hosted by Mary Washington’s Student Government Association and moderated by UMW Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth, who also serves as director of the university’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. It was co-sponsored by the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters of the Fredericksburg Area. Farnsworth joined fellow UMW Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman, who chairs the department, and WFVA Radio News Director Ted Schubel in asking questions of the candidates. Read the article.