RICHMOND, Va. — Political scientists, pundits, and politicos across the country are all in the process of breaking down the results of the recent election.
And it's happening right here in Central Virginia, too.
CBS 6's Bill Fitzgerald had a wonderful opportunity Thursday to moderate a discussion among academics and Virginia's Democratic and Republican Party leaders at the University of Richmond as part of their OSHER continuing education programs.
The head of President-elect Donald Trump's Virginia and North Carolina team, Mike Young, the chair of the Virginia Democratic Party, Susan Swecker, and Professors Amanda Wintersieck and Dan Palazzolo from VCU and Richmond, respectively, answered questions about how Trump was able to make significant gains here in Virginia and what that might portend in next year's state elections.
While Virginia went for Democrat Kamala Harris, it was by significantly less than just four years ago. Donald Trump cut Joe Biden's 10-point margin from 2020 in the Commonwealth nearly in half, and incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D) won reelection by just over 8.
One point of contrast between the two parties emerged when Swecker suggested the national Democratic effort to support nominee Kamala Harris was hindered by an inability to expand her base — that is, enlarge the number of demographic groups she could appeal to.
Young said flatly that the Trump campaign, with a candidate he called "the most defined and well-known, perhaps, in history," had concluded that they did not need to expand his base, but simply focus on the ground game and make sure every single supporter turned out to vote.
About 200 adult students were in attendance.
The former chief of staff to Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Bill Leighty, organized the event.
The OSHER program at U of R is open to anyone over 55 and features a robust academic curriculum including forums like the one on Thursday.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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