The #1 reason VA has turned left is found in NOVA (Northern VA) where billions of $$$ from the Fed. Gov. enrichen gov employees and contractors who suck at the Federal teat. That cancer has grown from Alexandria and Arlington to Fairfax, then Loudon and other nearby counties down to Spottsyvania. The cancer has so spread that almost everyone within a 70 mile radius of DC works for or is dependent on the Fed. Gov.
Of course the left has always had Richmond, Charlottesville (a major commie center of the nation) and Roanoke. But numerically, those 3 cities are small.
If you cut off NOVA, Virginia would probably come out mostly red. Yes, formerly very conservative Henrico and Chesterfield counties have been slightly taken over by the Dark Side (Spanberger replacing Dave Brat), but that divide is very close.....and questionable......
As West VA is a state, NOVA should be cut off as Northern Virginia, leaving everything 50 miles south and west of DC to be in Virginia.
And I think we’d have our state back. Technically, our Commonwealth.
The influence and dominance of the Federal Gov. is demonic - or almost so.
Henrico has been trending left rapidly. Since 2008 it has voted solidly Democrat.
2008 55% Rat
2012 55% Rat
2016 57% Rat
2020 63% Rat
It’s a cesspool. Chesterfield is becoming one as well. Just like the NOVA cancer spread out of Fairfax, another cancer is spreading out of Richmond.