She talks about health care. He talks about the environment. Eileen Filler-Corn are campaigning, it barely matters. And both major political parties now craft their messages to win over these affluent, educated voters. No matter which party wins on Nov. 2, the legislature will be filled by politicians who rank education as their top priority and pay attention to suburban concerns about transportation, taxes and the environment.
Gun control is also increasingly on the state legislative agenda.
So is controlling development in fast-growing areas. Politicians say races will turn on how many suburban voters a candidate can meet in walks through neighborhoods and at civic association meetings and reach in targeted mailings. That means continued payoffs for voters in Northern Virginia and like-minded suburban communities from the Roanoke Valley to Hampton Roads. The votes are there. Those votes could prove crucial this year for Virginia Democrats, who are hoping at least to maintain parity with Republicans in the 140-member General Assembly.