Democrats Dominate in 2017 Virginia Elections

Ralph Northan (at rear center right) in our home with campaign volunteers

It has been an exciting and emotional night watching the election results come in for the Virginia 2017 elections.  The husband and I have labored long and hard and given money for the Democrat statewide ticket and have provided housing for a Ralph Northam staffer in out home since July 4th. To say that we are very invested is to put it mildly, especially with me as a one time GOP activist, City Committee chair, and precinct captain.  It would seem that many Virginians have come to the realization that I came to years ago: the GOP of my parents' generation and my youth is dead and gone .  With a sweep by the Democrat statewide ticket and the possibility of flipping the House of Delegates still in play, this election is of major impact.  The results also show a growing division between Virginia's progressive urban areas - which foot the financial bill so to speak for the state as a whole - and rural areas where racism, religious extremism and bigotry remain strong.  What is of interest in the election results available is that even cities in Virginia's rural southside and southwest are moving to the Democrat column.  Perhaps they have realized that embracing the GOP message of division, racism and homophobia will do nothing to revitalize their economic base.  Here's a sample of some of the unofficial results in the gubernatorial race:

Albemarle County*          63.75% Northam

Alexandria City              78% Northanm

Arlintgton County          80% Northam

Chesapeake*                    53% Northam

Charlottesville                 85% Northam

Danville*                        57% Northam

Fairfax City                     64% Northam

Fairfax County                67.85% Northam

Falls Church                    78% Notham

Fredericksburg                69.9% Northam

Hampton                        71.6% Northam

Harrisonburg*                 63.5% Northam

Henrico County *             60% Northam

Lexington*                     66% Northam

Loudoun County*           59.45% Northam

Martinsville*                  58.5% Northam

Newport News                65% Northam

Norfolk                            68.6% Northam

Petersburg                      87.7% Northam

Portsmouth                     70% Northam

Prince William County*   64% Northam

Richmond                       81.5% Northam

Roanoke*                       62% Northam

Staunton*                      53% Northam

Suffolk                            58% Northam

Virginia Beach*             52% Northam

Williamsburg                70% Northam

* designates localities in southside/southwest Virginia or that historically vote Republican

Perhaps I am overly optimistic, but part of me wants to think that some of the urban areas that flipped to Northam or went much more Democrat recognized that all of the Republican statewide candidates ran campaigns that were based on shameless lies, not to mention overt calls to white supremacists and religious fanatics.  Virginia had a glorious history in the early days of the nation when intellect, democracy and knowledge were ascendant.  Then came the Civil War, Jim Crow and Massive Resistance.  Hopefully, the majority of Virginians want to recapture the Virginia of  the Founding Fathers.

The irony is that the rural areas that embraced Ed Gillespie are embracing the very forces that are holding them back economically and making them anathema to modern, progressive business. Will they ever wake up?