Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said that, from a political standpoint, it’s a smart move that will help GOP members in gerrymandered districts “protect their right flanks.”
“It is important to remember that Speaker Howell leads a very contentious caucus,” he said. “As the politics of Virginia become more and more polarized with rural conservatives doing battle with urban liberals and moderates, the Republican caucus has to answer conservative Republican demands.”
