Can the GOP Win in the Suburbs Again? Virginia Offers Early Test

Republican officials and activists in Virginia will gather Saturday to choose their gubernatorial nominee, the party’s first major effort during President Biden’s tenure to win back voters in a state where Democrats made significant gains during Donald Trump’s presidency.

Many in the GOP are optimistic about keeping this fall’s race for governor competitive, citing historical trends that suggest Virginians tend to use their off-year gubernatorial elections as a check on the most recent presidential election. Since the late 1970s, only once have Virginians elected a governor of the same party...