"Polls consistently show that a lot of people are pretty happy with their local school districts, that they think that they're pretty well run," said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. "And so, the loud school board hearings that you're seen around the Commonwealth, particularly in the outer ring suburban counties like Loudoun, are really reflective of those really motivated voters, people who will turn out anyway."

How will parental rights play into this year’s elections? (WVTF)

"What we see, of course, is the main event of the allegations about the Trump presidency," said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington and the author of Presidential Communication and Character: From Clinton and Cable to Twitter and Trump.

Trump is expected to plead not guilty to charges (CP24, Toronto)

But there’s a chance that frustration over the data center issue could chip away at Democrats’ advantage, according to Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “Every now and then, something like this comes along that really has the opportunity to scramble the more conventional politics,” he said, noting that land-use controversies often play that role in Northern Virginia.

In Prince William County, Data Centers Tangle Democratic Party Politics Ahead Of Fall Elections (DCist News)

Stephen Farnsworth at the University of Mary Washington says that money will start flowing after Labor Day. "At that point, the parties will also know which candidates have raised a lot of money on their own, which candidates are showing real promise, which candidates may not be as good an investment," Farnsworth says. "And so, when you start thinking about where to put your money, it really is a matter of triage. Where can that money do the most good?" This year’s legislative elections might be historically expensive (WVTF)

“The new lines, like the old, leave one or the other party dominant in nearly all districts. Only a handful of districts are really competitive,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.

Virginia’s primaries set the stage for this fall’s fierce political wars (Richmond Times-Dispatch)