Lauren Appell: Why Dems' poor performance in Virginia may flip state red, point to GOP victories in 2022

Republicans in Virginia will choose their nominees for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general at their party’s convention this Saturday.

I’ve lived in Virginia for more than two decades and watched this state go from red to purple to bright shiny blue. If ever there was a year when Republicans had a shot at returning the Old Dominion to its red roots it’s this year. It’s understood that Virginia's off-year election results are often used to take the pulse for the mid-term congressional elections. That’s why national figures such as former Trump White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have been in Virginia stumping for Republican candidates in the primary, rather than holding out until the general election to put their name behind a nominee.