It was a good night for Democrats in Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the state. Sandy Hausman talked with a long-time observer of Virginia politics and filed this report.
A cheerful crowd packed a downtown brewery to watch on a large screen as a modest blue wave washed across the state. Bob Gibson has been reporting on and teaching about state politics for decades. He concluded Donald Trump helped to mobilize Democratic voters in Virginia.
“The state elections were nationalized to an extent we haven’t seen before.”
He says the party enjoyed especially strong support in suburban Washington and three other key areas.
“Northern Virginia provided a couple of turnovers for the Democrats. Albemarle and Charlottesville went true blue as they usually do, and it was Richmond and Tidewater that provided the oomph that finally pushed the Democrats across in the House of Delegates.”
Three Democrats who had teamed up to run as a block – Seana Magill, Lloyd Snook and Michael Payne – won seats on city council, pledging a return to civility there, and retiring Albemarle County Sheriff Chip Harding will hand over the keys to a woman he endorsed to succeed him – Chan Bryant.
