Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald

Assistant Professor of Political Science Jared McDonald was quoted in an article for USA Today, titled “A special election in Virginia could have wider impact. Why it matters.” The piece, that also appeared in MSN, stated that redistricting is a process that typically occurs every decade after a census. But according to McDonald, Virginia’s highly-public, mid-decade redistricting push that’s attracted support from former President Barack Obama is quite uncommon. However, it’s linked to a broader political battle by both sides for representation in national government that has broken norms around congressional map-making. Read more in USA Today or MSN.

Other media mentions for McDonald include:

Former President Obama urges Virginia voters to back redistricting referendum amid special election (Mint)
It is a process that typically occurs every decade after a census. However, Virginia’s recent mid-decade push to redraw its districts is unusual. According to Jared McDonald, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, this effort reflects a larger political struggle between both parties over representation in the national government, one that has increasingly challenged traditional norms of congressional mapmaking. Read more in Mint.

Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald

Assistant Professor of Political Science Jared McDonald was quoted in an article titled “More Americans than ever are identifying as political independents, poll shows.” In the article by CBS News, McDonald says voters who identify as an independent are less likely to be engaged in politics. That leaves more political influence in the hands of “the most dissonant voices, the people who are on the furthest extremes of both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party,” McDonald said in an interview. Read article from CBS News.

Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald

Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald was quoted in a Newsweek article titled “Will Donald Trump’s Swing State Spending Gamble Pay Off?” In the article, McDonald is quoted as saying, “First, there’s a lot of uncertainty about which state will be the tipping point. Polling errors can be off in some states more than others, leading political professionals to invest in the wrong states. So, underinvesting in these swing states could be an error, especially if that lack of spending hinders get-out-the-vote efforts.” Read more.