Nationally Virginia was a GOP leaning state until the 2000s. At the state level most of the Democratic politicians at the time were much more moderate during Virginia’s capital punishment heyday. Plus the 80s were essentially a time where transnational fazes were happening in statewide politics for the south. The 80s and 90s saw a huge rise for Republicans to start dominating statewide politics in pretty much the entire south. The Democratic politicians that we saw elected like Zell Miller in the 90s we can only dream of seeing one now in Georgia.
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