Is Virginia “in play” in the presidential race? Donald Trump thinks so. He’s coming to Chesapeake to campaign on Friday and is reportedly opening 11 campaign offices around the state. The Joe Biden campaign apparently thinks so; first lady Jill Biden made an appearance in Virginia Beach on Thursday. The polls certainly say so: A Roanoke College poll recently showed the race tied in the state; so did a subsequent Fox News poll.
Virginia may well make a difference in the presidential race, but the presidential race may also make a difference in Virginia — specifically in city council races in Lynchburg, Roanoke and Salem.
Here’s how.
Virginia now requires that municipal elections, which once had been in May, be held in November. That boosts voter participation — those May elections had long been low-turnout affairs. A November election, especially one that coincides with a presidential election, also increases the likelihood of straight-ticket voting. How many people have the bandwidth to pay attention to a council race when there’s a presidential race going on, especially this one? Let’s take a look at why and how the presidential race might influence council races in these three cities: