Virginia Democrats flipped red counties, too

Democrats in the Commonwealth didn’t just take the statehouse, they also ended Republican rule in suburban Northern Virginia counties.

It’s not just the state capitol in Richmond that will be filled with more Democrats after Tuesday’s election. The Washington Post reports that Prince William and Loudoun counties in northern Virginia saw “the most dramatic political shift in a generation,” where Democrats flipped local government control from Republicans.

Both suburbs of Washington D.C., Prince William and Loudoun counties used to be reliably Republican in state and local elections. But 2019 ended that, most notably with Democrat Ann Wheeler taking over as board chair in Prince William County from right-wing Republican Corey Stewart.

The Democratic local governments in these counties can now align policies across the entire northern Virginia region, as Arlington County and Alexandria city have long had Democratic governments. Political analytsts told the Post that means more funding will be coming for housing, transit, schools, efforts to fight climate change, and creating more immigrant-friendly communities.