Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said the decline in Warner’s vote percentages this year — not just in rural areas but across Virginia — may be due to the senator’s positioning as a centrist.
“The moderate strategy that worked so well for Warner back in the day, just doesn’t work as well today,” Farnsworth said. “The real polarization of politics means there’s just not as many people interested in a moderate politician. The strategy of winning over moderate rural voters doesn’t work well when there aren’t many moderate rural voters.”
