Virginia Hasn’t Backed a Republican for President in Two Decades. Is It About to Flip?

Whether Virginia backs Donald Trump or Joe Biden shouldn’t even be a discussion.

The state hasn’t backed a Republican for president since George W. Bush in 2004.

But early polls showing Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, cutting into the Democratic president’s lead have served as a wake-up call for Virginia Democrats, who acknowledge headwinds with voters dissatisfied with Biden’s leadership. Republicans say that if Virginia is even remotely on the table for Trump, Biden is in serious trouble in traditional battleground states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

“I think Virginia can be a real possibility” for Republicans, said Sarah Chamberlain, president of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a group that supports center-leaning House Republicans. “Northern Virginia is so Democratic, and that’s where the numbers are, so, I’m not there yet,” on Trump winning it. But, she added: “The Trump team is doing the right thing, and let’s see how it all plays out.”