Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies and Ellen O’Brien, a senior political science major at UMW and a research associate at the center, are coauthors of an article reviewing the 2015 campaigns for the Senate of Virginia. The article appeared in the October 2015 issue of Fredericksburg Regional Business magazine.
Farnsworth and O’Brien wrote:
“For most Virginians, the November 2015 state Senate elections are already over. Thanks to gerrymandered line-drawing that packs lots of Democrats into some districts and lots of Republicans into others, most incumbents – or their successors from the incumbent party – are cruising to victory.”
“Of the 40 state Senate seats on the ballot, only 22 contests have more than one name on the ballot and only 20 contests feature both a Democrat and a Republican. And many of those races with two or more names on the ballot can hardly be called competitive.”
