Turnout in rural parts of Virginia last week was larger than many Democrats expected.
In some of the most remote parts of rural Virginia, turnout in the election was 80% of registered voters. That's a rural red wave that built on Governor Glenn Youngkin's success in rural Virginia back in 2021.
Karen Hult at Virginia Tech says Republicans have found a winning message in the least populated areas.
"These are people that may have felt not listened to, left out and losing some of the economic development wins that others had experienced," Hult says. "And so I think those things put together, as well as the sense nationally that there is a sense among a range of people that live in less densely populated areas that they’re just not being listened to."
Mark Rozell is dean of the Schar School at George Mason University, and he says this election is an indication that the rules of politics are changing.
"The conventional wisdom in Virginia elections that if you can command the urban corridor, you had a very strong chance of winning while losing most of the rest of the state," says Rozell. "But now, looking at these turnout numbers in the rural areas of the state, I think candidates have to rethink their strategies."
If Democrats want to rethink their strategy, they'll need to do it quickly. The primary for governor is seven months away.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
