What’s behind Stafford County’s Democratic flip: Traffic, affordability, demographic shifts

One of the majority of dramatic results in Virginia s general electoral process is that of Stafford County Virginia which voted Republican in every gubernatorial race since the turn of the century but then this year supported Democrats Abigail Spanberger Lt Gov Ghazala Hashmi and Attorney General Jay Jones WTOP spoke with Stafford residents particular who had lived there since the s about the issues that brought them to the polls this year Stafford County with an increasingly diverse population of according to a estimate from the U S Census Bureau is one of the faster-growing counties in the commonwealth According to figures from the Census Bureau and analysis by the Weldon Cooper Center for Populace Operation at the University of Virginia Stafford ranks th with a advancement Just over miles south of D C Stafford is part of the expanding exurban belt attracting commuters and federal workers About years ago a man who grew up in Alexandria disclosed I decided to get married and raise a family and I came down here He noted he could afford a home in Stafford In Alexandria I was priced out it was all built up he explained WTOP Even more just now Stafford was a small town noted another man who moved to Stafford in Property values were pretty good compared to Northern Virginia Fresh out of the U S Navy in Charles Cooper moved to the area Related stories Va s governor-elect tells WTOP first executive orders will focus on affordability Q A Virginia Lt Gov -elect Hashmi runs down priorities after historic win Abigail Spanberger elected Virginia governor in a historic first that boosts Democrats ahead of When I first came here your neighbor was way down the street he recalled When I grew up we had a two-bedroom house one bath now people s expectations have grown Incomes of Stafford residents have also grown According to Census Bureau figures and Weldon Cooper Center analysis Stafford is now the sixth-wealthiest county in the Commonwealth with a median household income of I ve seen a lot of change with a lot more houses going up revealed a woman who moved to Stafford years ago Now the infrastructure is trying to catch up with the housing With an influx of new residents with more money and higher levels of guidance who are buying larger homes this is the next Fairfax right here disclosed the man who moved to Stafford four decades ago for its affordability Stafford used to be a sleepy hollow You used to come here and be able to buy an acre of land and build a house and watch your family grow up now you can buy a townhouse he mused The trade-off of being able to buy a larger home in exchange for a longer commute isn t new That s part of living in Northern Virginia announced another man as he completed an errand at the Stafford County executive center located on U S Track Arlington Alexandria Fairfax Woodbridge they all fill up he declared People have got to go somewhere and everybody wants a little bit better quality of life Other issues that brought voters to the polls The congestion on Interstate is unbearable announced the woman who had lived in the area for two decades Also crucial to her are wellbeing care and benefits for those who can t afford it The issue of district services has been close to the heart of Charles Cooper for decades Just down the street we have the Charles A Cooper building named after me he declared modestly I was the first chairman of the Region Services Board representing Stafford and the four surrounding counties around Fredericksburg in referring to the Rappahannock Area Society Services Board In Stafford County s Strategic Plan which offers a long-term vision for the county s advance and advance the county has Targeted Advancement Areas while preserving natural and historic materials open space and farmland to maintain the county s rural character The plan also seeks to widen the county s multimodal transportation as it grows to deal with congestion on Interstate and Track Stafford County has two Virginia Railway Express stations Brooke Station and Leeland Road Station In addition the county is working toward evolving walkable urban experiences arts and cultural amenities as part of its improvement We have new hospitals it does bring a few benefits disclosed the man who viewed Stafford as a small town when he moved here years ago I think life will dependably be content here but there s just going to be more people Source