Democratic turnout nearly doubled in Virginia, and Virginia Democrats are gloating a bit

Virginia Democratic voter turnout surged

(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/MSNBC)

published 4 March 2020

Turnout in Virginia's Democratic primary surged to more than 1.3 million voters, from about 783,000 in 2016 and 986,000 in 2008. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who won the state decisively, said Tuesday night that "the turnout turned out for us" in Virginia, and "there is some evidence he is correct," The Washington Post reports. "Of the voters who sat out the 2016 primary and cast ballots in 2020, Biden won nearly 60 percent, according to a Washington Post statistical model."

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The surge in Democratic voters is "a great sign of Democratic engagement, but it also shows how much bluer the state has become," former Deputy Labor Secretary Chris Lu tweeted. The Virginia Democratic Party agreed, snapping back at the Virginia Republican Party.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.