Description
Virginia has a long and complicated political history, some of it good, and some of it not so good. This book analyzes six key statewide elections and explores changes in Virginia. Virginia went from the limited electorate of the Byrd era, with the support of only 5-7 percent of the adult population. This contrasts to today’s politics which sets new records for voter participation nearly every year.
- What drove political change in Virginia from the segregationist bastion of Harry Byrd to today’s purple, trending blue, multicultural state?
- How have elections been influenced by the rise in participation of Black voters?
- How has the explosive population growth in northern Virginia coupled with population loss in rural communities impacted elections?
The answers to these and other questions are in this close look at Virginia’s key 20th century elections.
Co-author John G. Milliken was an elected member of the Arlington County Board and has subsequently served as the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Virginia Port Authority under five Virginia governors. He he served in several transportation related positions in state and local government including the Commonwealth’s Secretary of Transportation, member and chairman of the board of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and a member of the Transportation Planning Board of the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments. A graduate of Haverford College and the University of Virginia School of Law, Milliken practiced infrastructure law in the Washington area until his retirement in 2015.
Co-author Mark J. Rozell is the founding dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He is the author or coauthor of 13 books and editor of 20 additional books on US government and politics, including the Presidency, religion and politics, media and politics, southern politics, and interest groups in elections. Rozell is a contributing writer for the Washington Post; his column on Virginia politics appears in Local Opinions.
- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: University of Virginia Press, 2023
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