Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth has appeared in several recent media mentions, including:
In N. Virginia, endorsement primaries point to increasingly politicized school boards (The Washington Post)
“Even offices that are billed as nonpartisan like school boards are becoming more partisan across the commonwealth,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “What Fairfax is doing is recognizing the partisan reality of school board races.” Read more.
What Kind of Republican Is Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin? (governing.com, Daily Press, Yahoo News, Bristol Herald Courier)
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs at University of Mary Washington, said much of Youngkin’s agenda — tax cuts, calls for abortion restrictions, and putting pressure on public schools — falls in line with mainstream Republicanism. But he added it’s somewhat challenging to define what’s mainstream because the Republican Party itself is undergoing an identity crisis. Read more.
Early Voting Could Bump Lower Primary Turnout in Critical Upcoming Election (Williamsburg Yorktown Daily, Virginia Public Media, The Virginian-Pilot, Royal Examiner, Suffolk News-Herald)
“That’s a big change from the way it used to be in Virginia,” said Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor and director of the University of Mary Washington Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “Where most of the votes were cast on election day, that’s just no longer the case here.” Read more.
Rising Republican star and former NASCAR driver collide in Senate primary in Southside (Cardinal News)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said that Virginia Republican leadership likely preferred a convention in the district because Republicans won the governor’s office in large part by avoiding a primary in the selection of Youngkin. “A Republican primary in 2021 might have given the party a more pro-Trump nominee, and that would have really hurt Republican prospects in the gubernatorial election,” Farnsworth said. However, a governor who tries to “impose a nomination process over the objections of local party officials makes enemies and is unlikely to prevail,” Farnsworth added. Read more.
Virginia Has Made It Easier To Vote (The Connections Newspapers)
“That’s a big change from the way it used to be in Virginia,” said Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor and director of the University of Mary Washington Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “Where most of the votes were cast on election day, that’s just no longer the case here.”Primaries typically have the lowest levels of turnout, he said. Read more.
Dels. March and Williams have already faced each other in court. Now they face off in a primary (Cardinal News)
“The key issue in this contest is who can present themselves as the most compelling ideological reflection of this conservative district,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “While both candidates are conservative, the primary will be shaped by the extent to which being a combative Republican is better than being a productive Republican.” Read more.
