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The campaigns and candidates of the November 5 presidential and state elections were put in the spotlight November 13 at George Mason University’s Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, as two panels of political insiders analyzed the results.
The occasion was the annual After Virginia Votes, a partnership between the Schar School of Policy and Government and the Richmond-based Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), a nonpartisan nonprofit that provides deep information about the state’s campaign finance system. A recording of the livestreamed event is available at the VPAP YouTube channel.
Two conversations among panelists were moderated by NBC4 Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey, who assured the audience at the outset that the standard talking points were “left at the door.”
Kéren Charles Dongo, state director of the office of U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Ken Nunnenkamp, executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia, noted statistics showing even traditionally Democratic-leaning districts turned red this time, an indication that perhaps Democrats were focusing on issues that were not a priority with the electorate.
“There is a message for voters who are focused less on partisan politics,” Nunnenkamp said.
In a segment of political analysis, Bob Holsworth, managing partner at Richmond consultancy DecideSmart, and Mark J. Rozell, Schar School dean, looked ahead at next year’s election that will have, among other seats, the governor’s office up for grabs. In the run-up to the election, how will current governor Glenn Youngkin—who Holsworth suggested is running for president in 2028—involve himself in campaigning for the Republican candidate?
“He has to be careful putting his political capital on the line,” Rozell said. “I don’t think he has to have an appointment or elective office in order to have a public profile, necessarily. He can keep going on FOX News. He can start a podcast.”