Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently presented a keynote lecture, “The State of the U.S. Presidential Election,” to a group of political leaders from Australia participating in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program in Washington. The political leaders participated in a two-week program focusing on learning about the U.S. political system.

In addition, recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Is Kamala Harris at Risk of Losing Virginia? What Polls Suggest (Newsweek)
Meanwhile, a poll conducted by the University of Mary Washington between September 3 and 9 showed that Harris is just 1 point ahead, 47 percent to 46 percent, among 756 Virginia likely voters—a lead well within the survey’s margin of error of +/- 4.1 percent.
https://www.newsweek.com/virginia-polling-kamala-harris-donald-trump-1969271

Former GOP Rep. Riggleman endorses Democratic Sen. Kaine of Virginia (The Washington Post)
Kaine led Cao by 12 points among likely voters in a September Washington Post-Schar School poll and by a smaller, six-point margin in a University of Mary Washington poll that month.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/10/16/kaine-cao-riggleman-virginia-senate/

Congressional Seats (Virginia Dogwood)
“We have in the U.S. right now a very divided Congress,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1460354387966817

Updating Donald Trump’s Criminal Charges (RTVI Media)
“That [New York] case was delayed at the request of the Trump campaign,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “There was a thought  from the Trump legal team that it would harm his campaign for sentencing to take place before  the election.”
https://www.youtube.com/live/TG0aobFr7dc?t=493s

Taking a Presidential Joke (With Good Reason)
Presidents have to know how to take a joke. And how to tell one about themselves. Steve Farnsworth says that many young people are finding their way into understanding the political landscape one joke at a time.
https://www.withgoodreasonradio.org/episode/early-voting/

Tight race looms in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District as Anderson and Vindman face off (Yahoo News)
“I was upset with the lack of accountability for this administration,” Anderson said during an Oct. 2 candidates debate with Vindman at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/tight-race-looms-virginia-7th-092938530.html

Federal workers policy is on the ballot in November (VPM; WHRO; WAMU)
Democrat Eugene Vindman and Republican Derrick Anderson participate in a debate to represent Virginia’s 7th Congressional District on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
https://www.vpm.org/news/2024-10-10/federal-workers-policy-virginia-seventh-congressional-district-vindman-anderson-subramanyam
https://www.whro.org/elections/2024-10-11/federal-workers-policy-is-on-virginias-ballot-in-november
https://wamu.org/story/24/10/13/virginia-candidates-weigh-in-on-federal-workers-policy/

Harris edges out Trump by 2 points in Virginia survey (MSN)
“This new survey suggests Virginia should be getting a much closer look from both presidential campaigns,” Stephen J. Farnsworth, director of the university’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, said in a statement. “Virginia may deserve to be treated as a ‘swing state’ once again this year.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/harris-edges-out-trump-by-2-points-in-virginia-survey/ar-AA1qV2iy?ocid=RT2DHP&apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1

Presidential Election 2024 (Indian Institute for Goverance, Policies, and Politics)
“I think the first important thing to understand about American politics and how different our society is from say the structure of a Westminster style parliamentary democracy is that we are very very open to new people and new ideas,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.youtube.com/live/-7dvnLbBdj4

Virginia House candidates debate abortion and affordability as congressional election nears (WTOP; Richmond Times-Dispatch; WAMU; The Washington Post; Ground News)
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Nearly a month before election day, Republican Derrick Anderson and Democrat Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman attempted to portray themselves as the candidate best fit for Congress on Wednesday in what is shaping up to be Virginia’s most competitive race.
https://wtop.com/virginia/2024/10/virginia-house-candidates-debate-abortion-and-affordability-as-congressional-election-nears/
https://richmond.com/news/state-and-regional/7th-district-congressional-debate-derrick-anderson-eugene-vindman-umw-election2024/article_560d8c89-12a8-5549-b4ff-c944163d2708.html
https://wamu.org/story/24/10/03/virginia-7th-congressional-district-debate/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/10/03/derrick-anderson-eugene-vindman-debate-congress-virginia/
https://ground.news/article/anderson-and-vindman-trade-barbs-at-7th-district-debate-in-fredericksburg

The battle for Prince William County’s Latino vote (Prince William Times)
Stephen J. Farnsworth, a professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, says Republicans have taken opportunities to cut into Democratic margins among Latino voters in Virginia by running candidates such as Jason Miyares, the state’s first Latino attorney general.
https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/the-battle-for-prince-william-county-s-latino-vote/article_82a48006-81d0-11ef-b9a9-37b511123957.html

Donald Trump’s Chances of Winning Virginia: Polls (Newsweek)
Despite Trump trailing in nearly every recent poll, there have been a few bright spots for the ex-president in the state. A poll released on September 9 by the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, found that Trump was level with Harris among all adults.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trumps-chances-winning-virginia-polls-1963494

University of Mary Washington poll forecasts tight race for Virginia governor in 2025 (2024) (Custom Map Poster)
“Virginia elections are often close, and the look ahead to next year suggests more of the same in the campaign for governor,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “The big challenge for these potential candidates is becoming better known across the commonwealth.”
https://custommapposter.com/article/university-of-mary-washington-poll-forecasts-tight-race-for-virginia-governor-in-2025/6520#google_vignette

With two open seats, N. Va. on front line in battle for Congress (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“The race started out more or less as a tossup,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. “That’s where it seems to be right now.”
https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/elections/virginia-congress-vindman-anderson-subramanyam-clancy/article_7c880994-7aa1-11ef-a4d3-c70c76a987cc.html

Virginia 7th Congressional District Candidate Forum (DC News Now)
“Candidates choose what they will participate in and what they will not. We were very fortunate at Mary Washington that we had both candidates participating in our debate last week,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.dcnewsnow.com/video/virginia-7th-congressional-district-candidate-forum/10110320/

Now what?: Study gives Virginia lawmakers options on military tuition waiver program (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“Once a government program is in place, you’re likely to see it around for the duration,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg in the heart of the military-minded 7th Congressional District.
https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/general-assembly-military-tuition-waiver/article_c7f4747a-84c0-11ef-8fb2-fff16ae76547.html

‘Let’s be normal’: Local GOP works to galvanize a Democrat-led voting bloc (Moco 360)
“In a jurisdiction like Montgomery County, you can basically say whatever you want, but if you have an R after your name on the ballot, you’ve got a big problem,” said Dr. Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.
https://moco360.media/2024/10/09/lets-be-normal-county-gop-works-to-galvanize-a-democrat-led-voting-bloc/

Is One Spotsylvania Resident in the Vanguard of a Party-jumping Trend? (FXBG Advance)
In an email to the Advance, Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington said that voters jumped parties “in 2016, where there were a number of Obama 2012 voters who did not vote for Hillary Clinton. This was particularly an issue in the swing states of the industrial Midwest (PA, WI, MI).”
https://fxbgadvance.substack.com/p/could-republicans-turn-the-election?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Tight race looms in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District as Anderson and Vindman face off (Virginia Mercury; InsideNova; USSA News)
“I was upset with the lack of accountability for this administration,” Anderson said during an Oct. 2 candidates debate with Vindman at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.
https://virginiamercury.com/2024/10/10/tight-race-in-virginias-7th-congressional-district-as-derrick-anderson-eugene-vindman-face-off/
https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/election-2024-tight-race-looms-in-virginia-s-7th-congressional-district-between-anderson-vindman/article_7accc616-871d-11ef-8894-475ff17e73f5.html
https://ussanews.com/2024/10/10/tight-race-looms-in-virginias-7th-congressional-district-as-anderson-and-vindman-face-off/

Now what?: Study gives Virginia lawmakers options on military tuition waiver program (The News & Advance)
“Once a government program is in place, you’re likely to see it around for the duration,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg in the heart of the military-minded 7th Congressional District.
https://newsadvance.com/now-what-study-gives-virginia-lawmakers-options-on-military-tuition-waiver-program/article_f8e6b358-85cf-11ef-9569-c3e3b44ef0f6.html