Virginia is often regarded as a political bellwether for the subsequent year's congressional midterm elections because of its competitive (purple) political landscape and the timing of its gubernatorial election.
November 04, 2025
high
temporal
Virginia's electoral results are frequently used to infer broader national political trends ahead of midterm elections.
Political analysts commonly treat home-state voters' opinions of an elected official as a relatively informed perspective because those voters are presumed to have followed the official's work more closely.
October 23, 2025
high
general
Explains a common interpretive practice in political reporting and analysis.