WASHINGTON 鈥� Northern Virginia鈥檚 population heavyweights were solid blue on Election Day, which a Democratic and a Republican strategist each say will only bring more focus to the region in upcoming elections such as the 2017 governor鈥檚 race.
President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 Virginia campaign director, Mark Lloyd, said he is proud his team made it so close statewide, with gains especially pronounced in more rural areas.
鈥淔airfax, Loudoun, Prince William 鈥� they were a huge challenge for us 鈥� each part of the state is a little different, especially for Republicans, I think,” Lloyd said at a discussion organized by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. “A Northern Virginia Republican is not the same as a Southwest Virginia Republican.”
鈥淪o much of Northern Virginia is just a suburb of Washington, D.C. Republican, Democrat, whatever, [their] livelihoods are tied to things not changing in Washington, D.C., and I think that it was reflected in the vote,” he said. “Republicans just were not going to come out and vote for the change candidate like they were in other parts of the state.”
Hillary Clinton鈥檚 Virginia campaign director, Brian Zuzenak, said the largest single group of staffers he had anywhere in the state was in Northern Virginia.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 because Northern Virginia is 40 percent of the projected Democratic electorate,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he way population trends are going, Northern Virginia continues to grow, so I think you鈥檙e going to see more and more emphasis given to Northern Virginia because that鈥檚 where the population is,鈥� Zuzenak said.
Clinton won Virginia by about five percentage points, thanks in large part to the strong turnout in Northern Virginia and diminished turnout or some gains elsewhere.
Statewide, turnout was hovering just below 71 percent of registered voters as the vote count was finalized. In Fairfax County, elections leaders say the .
Lloyd said Trump鈥檚 national campaign staff were calling him from New York every 20 minutes as the first results came in from more Republican parts of the state with hopes that the early lead was a sign of how the night would turn out.
鈥淚 said, ‘Fairfax isn鈥檛 in’,” he said.
Fairfax County has more voters than any other jurisdiction in Virginia. More than 65 percent of voters there backed Clinton, while just 29 percent backed Trump.
Zuzenak, who has run other Virginia operations for Democrats, said that does not mean Democrats can take statewide races for granted.
鈥淧laces do change, and campaigns can make inroads into certain places that no other campaign can make,鈥� Zuzenak said, citing the relatively small margin by which Trump beat Clinton in typically Republican Chesterfield County.
鈥淚t can happen, but it relies on the uniqueness of the campaign to make that happen,” he said. “There are Republicans who still win in Northern Virginia. Barbara Comstock .”
Trump won Stafford, Fauquier and Clarke counties, but no jurisdictions closer to the Beltway.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 a whole brand of Republicans that can鈥檛 compete in Northern Virginia, I think it was Donald Trump that couldn鈥檛 compete in Northern Virginia,鈥� Zuzenak said.
Lloyd said he believes that feeling could change if a President Trump is effective.
鈥淥ne thing we can do 鈥� not to insult anybody 鈥� we drain the swamp,” he said. “When things turn around, maybe some folks that were reticent will come along, be more encouraged by limited government, less government, and maybe then things will change. Do we have to work harder? Well, honestly I don鈥檛 know that we could work a whole lot harder.”
Still, he said, Virginia Republicans may need to focus on turnout in more traditionally Republican areas to improve odds in statewide elections.
鈥淵ou kinda have to go catch the fish where they鈥檙e bitin鈥�,鈥� Lloyd said.
