Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth, who also directs the Center for Leadership and Media Studies,  recently presented a lecture in Glen Allen at the Annual Conference of the American Association of University Women of Virginia. The lecture was titled, "The Changing Nature of Virginia Politics: Reviewing the Pivotal 2025 Election and the First Session of Virginia’s First Madam Governor.”   Farnsworth was a popular expert with the media recently, discussing politics with a number of regional and national outlets, including CNN, USA Today, WUSA 9, WJLA, NBC 4 News, Richmond Magazine and others. Media mentions for Farnsworth include: Virginia voters to decide on redistricting amendment potentially shifting House balance (WUSA 9; Yahoo.com) Political science expert Dr. Stephen Farnsworth of University of Mary Washington said based on polling, it’ still too close to tell which side will win. “Polling shows a margin of a few points and when we’re looking at an election like this in Virginia, so much will come down whether or not people can get their supporters out to participate,” said Farnsworth. Learn more from WUSA 9. Virginia voters to vote on measure that could determine control of Congress (WJLA) “It seems to me that a strong turnout effort on election day can give either side a win,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “The big challenge for both the yes and the no side is to get people who will support them if they turn out to actually do soI think anybody who is not strongly committed one side or the other is likely to stay home. Read more in WJLA. Virginians head to polls to decide fate of proposed new congressional districts (WTOP) “The pro messaging is very much, ‘Trump started this and Virginia is going to finish it,’” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, told WTOP. Read more in WTOP. Virginia Election Day: Voters Head to the Polls (USA Today) “This isn’t just about lines on a map—it’s about who gets heard in Washington,” said Dr. Stephen Farnsworth, political analyst and professor at the University of Mary Washington, whose insights have been featured in local coverage of the vote. “When district lines are drawn with partisan intent, communities can be split apart or packed together in ways that dilute their voice. Voters demand to understand what’s at stake beyond the ballot box.” Read more in USA Today. FROM THE EDITOR: Election Day Dawns on Democracy’s Rusting Hinges (FXBG Advance) Steven Farnsworth, a professor or political science at the University of Mary Washington, told the Advance that congressional midterms typically realize “an 18-seat swing in the House and a three- or four-seat swing in the Senate.” Read more in FXBG Advance. Lying Liars, And Open Scumbaggery In Virginia (Daily Kos) “This is an extraordinary amount of money, but it’s not a surprise because the stakes are so high. This could very likely determine which party controls the next Congress,” said Steve Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. Read more in Daily Kos. What to expect in Virginia’s special election on redistricting (NBC 4 News) “So, what we know from the polling is that the overall feelings of this amendment are pretty close to fifty fifty right now,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Learn more from NBC 4 News. Yes or No? Virginia’s redistricting fight goes down to the wire (Richmond Magazine) Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, says the outcome now hinges on how many people show up to vote on Tuesday. “Early voting has been comparable to the early voting for the governor’s race last November, but there may be a significant drop-off for Election Day voting between November of last year and April this year,” Farnsworth says. “Candidates often bring more voters to the polls than policy topics do.” Read more in Richmond Magazine. Why some Virginia voters find redistricting ballot question confusing (WTOP) Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said it’s generally easier for voters to focus on a particular candidate than a ballot issue, making the issue confusing for some voters. “Do you like this candidate? Do you dislike this candidate? Rather than constitutional issues,” Farnsworth said. Learn more from WTOP. Virginia redistricting referendum could have national implications (WTOP) “In many ways, what happens in Virginia, may very well be the deciding factor in terms of which party controls Congress next year,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “If the amendment passes, that’s a significant advantage for Democrats going into those November 2026 midterms. Learn more from WTOP. Virginia’s redistricting vote is nearing a conclusion. How is it shaping up? (Almanac of American Politics) “The ‘yes’ side has raised far more money and is spending a lot on TV ads,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a University of Mary Washington political scientist. “The ‘no’ side hasn’t had as much money, and as a result has focused on social media and a few public events.” Read more in the Almanac of American Politics. Redistricting might not be solution Virginia voters really need, educators say (Henrico Citizen; Prince William Times) Campaigns on both sides are spending a lot of money on advertising, according to Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at University of Mary Washington. Read more in the Prince William Times or Henrico Citizen. Spanberger: Amendments, vetoes are part of the job as Virginia’s governor (The Free Lance-Star) “The governor’s amendments have been laser-focused on building up her image as a moderate Democrat,” and “suggest Democrats in the legislature are going too far and too fast,” said Steve Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. Read more in The Free Lance-Star. How a trash-talking, meme-posting great grandmother pulled Virginia into a fight that could define the midterms (CNN) Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said Virginia powerbrokers understand that if “you want something out of the legislature, figure out a way to get Sen. Lucas on board.”

Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth was featured by CTV News Canada  in a piece titled "Trump Reiterates Threats if Iran Doesn't Reach Deal." In the segment, Farnsworth said "I think this is a serious threat. It is quite clear that President Trump is willing to that President Trump is willing to use a lot of military resources to try to secure an outcome that he wants in Iran. All indications are there are some negotiations going on, but we will have to see whether or not these countries which have been so far apart for decades can reach any kind of resolution in the next 24 hours.” View the segment on CTV News. Other media mentions for Farnsworth include: President’s Speech about Iran War (KNX Radio Los Angeles) “Well, I think a lot depends on what comes next. The nature of war is that it is a very uncertain dynamics and the President has made it clear that he thinks it is going to be another couple of weeks but we will see if that turns out to be the case,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Strong early voting turnout for Virginia redistricting referendum (NBC Washington) “If you are a ‘yes’ vote on the amendment, talking about President Trump is probably your most effective strategy, and it’s a particularly effective strategy right now given all the unpopularity of some of the things going on in the larger political environment,” he said. Learn more from NBC Washington.  

Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth was quoted by MSN in an article, titled "Democrats zero in on Virginia redistricting as early voting begins." In the piece, Farnsworth describes the ballot measure as “an opportunity for Virginia voters to offer yet another referendum on how they on how they feel about President Trump,” noting its broader political implications in a state the former president has lost in all three of his elections. Read more on MSN.   Other media mentions for Farnsworth include: Virginia Senators split on vote for Trump’s NSA and cyber security head (WVTF) Support for Trump nominees may dog some candidates this fall, but University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth said Warner’s vote aligns with the incumbent’s long-running centrist-bonafides. The decision to vote for a Trump nominee may help persuade some centrist supporters to back Warner in November,” Farnsworth told Radio IQ. Learn more from WVTF.  Trump Compares Surprise Attack on Iran to Pearl Harbor (Bell Media) “Well, I think it means that President Trump is going to be making decisions. I think one of the things that distinguishes the Trump presidency from other precedencies is that Trump really relies primarily on his own judgement,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Learn more from Bell Media. True Blue (Richmond Magazine) “I think so far the governor has been able to lean into her background in law enforcement to have a layer of credibility for her actions that isn’t always present with a governor,” says Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “The traditional Republican argument that Democrats are weak in this area simply doesn’t apply to someone with her career experience.” Read more in Richmond Magazine.  The 10 most important things that happened in Virginia’s 2026 legislative session (Virginia Mercury; Yahoo News) Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said that when all the leaders in the executive and legislative branches belong to the same party, “that’s when the fights get interesting.” Read more in Yahoo News. General Assembly gavels out 2026 session without budget agreement (VPM News) The legislation going to Spanberger has already gone through a number of filters, said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “When you have a big Democratic majority, you do not need to keep every member happy all the time,” he said, referring to the House’s 64-seat majority. “That Democratic majority in the House gives the speaker, and the governor, the means of keeping things away from the governor that the governor doesn’t want to see.” Read more in VPM News.

Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth was quoted by the Fairfax County Times in an article titled "Subcommittee taps brakes on measure to shift costs to data centers." In the article, he said data center policy was a priority of the Democratic majorities in the legislature last year. “But the gridlock in Richmond meant that the topic was down the road until this year,” Farnsworth said. Read more in the Fairfax County Times. Other recent media mentions for Farnsworth include: Spanberger Set to Deliver the Democratic Response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address (WTOP) “I think the big thing to note is the Democrats are trying to put a spotlight on one of the most successful campaigns in the last few years for their party,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Nuclear treaty that kept world peace just expired: What happens now? (TRT World) Noted political analyst Dr Stephen J. Farnsworth, Professor of Political Science at the University of Mary Washington, told TRT World, “The expiration of the treaty may lead to a dangerous and expensive expansion of the nuclear arsenals of Russia and the US.” Read more in TRT World.  Virginia House subcommittee punts on data center bill, but hopes to ‘continue the work’ (Henrico Citizen) Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington, said data center policy was a priority of the Democratic majorities in the legislature last year. “But the gridlock in Richmond meant that the topic was down the road until this year,” Farnsworth said. Read more in the Henrico Citizen. Supervisors collect nearly $300K in campaign donations – mostly from data center interests (Prince William Times) Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said the contributions tied to data center projects could be the result of growing opposition to data centers. “As (data centers) become controversial, proponents want to be sure that they’re spending what it’s going to take to find enthusiastic lawmakers,” Farnsworth said. Read more in the Prince William Times.

 

Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth appeared on NBC Washington News4 this month sharing his political expertise on Virginia's redistricting battle. "By slicing up Northern Virginia as thinly as this plan would do, you are maximizing the chances that not only will Northern Virginia have more clout, but there will be more Democratic seats than is currently the case in Virginia,” Farnsworth said.

 

 

 

 

Other media mentions for Farnsworth include:

House subcommittee punts on data center bill, but hopes to ‘continue the work’ (Virginia Business)
Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington, said data center policy was a priority of the Democratic majorities in the legislature last year. “But the gridlock in Richmond meant that the topic was down the road until this year,” Farnsworth said. Read more in Virginia Business.

Virginia House Democrats pass new gun laws, but not all Democrats voted for them (WVTF; USA Today)
University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth said that can be beneficial for likely-vulnerable legislators like McAuliffe and Franklin, but it can cut both ways. “The big majority gives the speaker a lot more flexibility, not only to let individual lawmakers walk away from what a majority of what Democrats might want, it also gives the speaker the opportunity to kill bills from the far left that the governor doesn’t want to see on her desk,” Farnsworth warned. Read more in USA Today.

Affordability or tax hikes? Spanberger agenda caught in political crossfire (Yahoo News; Henrico Citizen)
Political scientist Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington said that silence carries risks. “One of the things that we’ve learned in the world of social media is that the truth is a rare and not very highly valued commodity,” Farnsworth said. “You don’t need evidence to make a claim online, and increasingly, people don’t even care.” Read more in Yahoo News.

A 10-1 map turns Va. politics upside down — if voters agree (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“There’s no doubt about it, if you slice Northern Virginia as thinly as they have done in these district maps, you’re going to create a lot of favorable environments for Democrats,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. Read more in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Affordability or tax hikes? Spanberger agenda caught in political crossfire (Virginia Mercury)
Political scientist Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington said that silence carries risks. “One of the things that we’ve learned in the world of social media is that the truth is a rare and not very highly valued commodity,” Farnsworth said. “You don’t need evidence to make a claim online, and increasingly, people don’t even care.” Read more in Virginia Mercury.

Sound Familiar? ‘Moderate’ Dem Spanberger Became Virginia Gov by Promising ‘Affordability,’ But Leftists Immediately Push Radical Tax-First Agenda in Legislature (The Western Journal)
Political Science Professors Larry Sabato and Stephen Farnsworth believe most of the tax increase proposals will not pass the Virginia General Assembly. “I think it’s important to note that a lot of what gets proposed in the legislature never comes to pass,” said Farnsworth, a professor with the University of Mary Washington.
Mary Washington. Read more in The Western Journal.

Virginia Democrats introduce flood of new tax proposals despite running on affordability (WJLA)
Political Science Professors Larry Sabato and Stephen Farnsworth believe most of the tax increase proposals will not pass the Virginia General Assembly. “I think it’s important to note that a lot of what gets proposed in the legislature never comes to pass,” said Farnsworth, a professor with the University of Mary Washington. Learn more from WJLA.

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.