As goes Virginia, so goes the nation? I doubt anybody has said that since 1800 or so. But Virginia has become a swing state in the presidential elections and a purple state in state/local elections, mirroring the divide that exists on the national level. More than any time in my memory, Virginia has become a bell weather for national sentiment.
Perhaps that’s because Virginia increasingly resembles the national profile demographically, sociologically, economically, in religious affiliation and in educational attainment and public opinion.
The indefatigable list makers at WalletHub tallied up about 30 indicators and found that the Old Dominion ranked 10th in its “electorate representation index” with a rating of 90.58%. Virginia’s gender and racial characteristics both ranked 3rd among all the states in matching the U.S. reference value.
Illinois and Florida ranked first and second respectively with ratings of 94.3% and 94.32%. Least representative of the country? Mississippi (78.32%) and Vermont (77.94%).
— JAB
