Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently presented a lecture, “Political Humor and U.S. Presidential Elections,” at the Institute of International and Security Studies of the University of Wrocław, Poland. The talk was derived from portions of Dr. Farnsworth’s recently published co-authored book, Late-Night in Washington: Political Humor and the American Presidency. Dr. Farnsworth is serving at the University of Warsaw in Poland as a Spring 2024 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar.
Other recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:
Primaries turn out only a small share of voters to the polls (Prince William Times)
Stephen J. Farnsworth, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said Monday he’s not too surprised by the big dollar amounts. “Those big numbers have to do with the fact that these are D.C. suburban districts that could produce strong candidates,” Farnsworth said. “These districts are where the real competition in America is found today.”
Matter of Debate: RFK debate snub becomes latest setback for uphill campaign (The Denver Gazette)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said if Kennedy avoided controversial topics including reports that he admitted a parasitic worm “ate a portion” of his brain, it could help him on the debate stage.
Meet Virginia’s 7th District candidates (WVTF)
Stephen Farnsworth, a politics professor at the University of Mary Washington, says whoever wins Virginia’s 7th district may decide the fate of the majority in congress. “This district is really a district that Democrats can win on good days [or] Republicans can win on good days and you can expect both to put an immense amount of money into this race,” Farnsworth told Radio IQ.
Could Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin be Trump’s pick for VP? (FOX 5; Yahoo News)
Professor Steven Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington tells FOX 5 he believes Youngkin is a serious vice-presidential contender. “It makes a lot of sense for Glenn Youngkin, I think, to be considered seriously because THE key issue for Donald Trump in think is winning again,” Farnsworth said. “It is important to note that Youngkin is an early endorser of the former President and has not done the sort of things to make an enemy of Donald Trump that some other Republicans in Virginia have done.”
Election 2024 (WTOP)
“This is really a campaign where both candidates are very very appealing to the Republican primary voters in the district,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
Matter of Debate: RFK debate snub becomes latest setback for uphill campaign (Colorado Springs Gazette)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said if Kennedy avoided controversial topics including reports that he admitted a parasitic worm “ate a portion” of his brain, it could help him on the debate stage.
Eugene Vindman projected to win Democratic nomination, Derrick Anderson to win GOP in Virginia’s 7th district primary (NBC Washington)
“An advantage in terms of endorsements from top Democrats, the funding advantage that he has in terms of ability to raise money and the fact he has a name that is well-known — that puts him in a position to be better-known than the other candidates,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington.
Vindman wins the Democratic primary for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District (Fox 4 News; MSN.com)
“An advantage in terms of endorsements from top Democrats, the funding advantage that he has in terms of ability to raise money and the fact he has a name that is well-known — that puts him in a position to be better-known than the other candidates,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington, told NBC Washington of Vindman ahead of the primary election.
(Stephen Farnsworth)
Experts: Trump helped McGuire surge in Virginia’s 5th District (Richmond Times-Dispatch; The Roanoke Times)
“If the former president had not weighed in against Good, the incumbent would have been renominated in a walk,” Farnsworth said.
Virginia Primary Day: Voters head to the polls to cast ballots in packed, competitive races (WUSA)
“They have to figure out a way in a primary to distinguish themselves from those other candidates who might be a lot like them,” University of Mary Washington Professor Stephen Farnsworth said.
Kaine, Cao take opening shots at each another ahead of Virginia Senate race (NBC Washington)
“The fact is that most of these rural communities are going to vote overwhelmingly Republican, and they’ll vote overwhelmingly for Hung Cao regardless of what he says,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said. “You saw that in the primary last night; Cao did very well in rural Virginia.
Key takeaways from the 2024 Virginia primary election results (WJLA)
“The reality is that if McGuire wins, it will be Trump that made the difference,” said University of Mary Washington Political Science Professor Stephen Farnsworth. “The last hours of the campaign, you saw Trump go all in on this race, in part because for Trump, a lot of politics is personal, and when Congressman Good decided to back Ron DeSantis against Donald Trump in the Republican presidential nomination, well, Good created a target on his back as far as Donald Trump was concerned.”
RFK Jr fails to qualify for CNN debate, setting up Trump-Biden rematch (Washington Examiner)
“The Federal Election Commission is not known for taking a vigorous stance on things, and I would expect that there wouldn’t be much help for RFK Jr. from the FEC,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington.
High-stakes House primaries in Virginia show fissures across both parties (ABC News)
“Trump’s endorsement represents a huge advantage for McGuire, and that’s why Good has tried to suggest that he is actually the favorite of the former president,” Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington, told ABC News by email. “While prominent Republicans have split in their preferences in this contest, none of them has anything like the influence with Republican primary voters that the former president has.”
With so many choices in primary races, will Virginia consider ranked choice voting? (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“The 2024 primaries are about the best case you’ll ever see for ranked choice voting,” said Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, in the heart of the 7th District. “When you have more than a half-dozen candidates in the field, you may end up seeing winners with 20 to 22% of the vote.”
5th District Republican primary draws big names and big money (Cardinal News)
But Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said that despite the overwhelming support for Good among the district’s elected GOP officials, Trump’s endorsement represents “a huge advantage” for McGuire, putting the incumbent on the defensive and forcing him to take his conservative credentials and message directly to the voters at dozens of events scattered around the district in recent weeks.
Trump whistleblower Eugene Vindman faces experienced foes in 7th District primary (VPN)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said Vindman’s lack of political experience is offset by his popularity nationally among activists, who have donated to his campaign in droves.
Trump Whistleblower Seeks Spanberger’s Seat: Primaries to Watch (Bloomberg Government)
Trump’s endorsement “represents a huge advantage for McGuire, and that’s why Good has tried to suggest that he is actually the favorite of the former president,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.