Upcoming elections could net Republicans a political trifecta in Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - We are less than two months away from Election Day.

Voter turnout for seats in the General Assembly is vital for determining if Republicans will take full control at the state level.

“It’s right there for the taking, because both chambers have enough competitive seats. They really could go either way,” Kyle Kondik said Thursday, September 21.

There is a possibility that elections this fall could produce a Republican trifecta in the commonwealth.

“Trifecta is when one party controls both the governorship and also both chambers of state legislature,” Kondik said.

UVA Center for Politics says this scenario would be interesting, considering Virginia being blue during the Presidential Election.

“What would make that a little bit unusual is that it would be a Republican-controlled state government in a state that is basically Democratic leaning at the federal level. There are only a couple other states that are like that,” Kondik said.

A Republican-controlled state government could play a large role in what laws get passed in Virginia.

“Abortion does seem like one of the really big topics of the selection and something where the stakes are relatively high,” Kondik said.

With redrawn districts in Virginia, the Center says it is harder to predict outcomes.

“We haven’t seen this map perform,” Kondik said. “There’s pretty wide understanding the stakes of this election are very high on both sides.”

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