Man, 2020 feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it? But if you want to understand why Virginia looks the way it does today—politically speaking—you have to look at the virginia election results 2020. It wasn't just another year. Honestly, it was the moment the "Old Dominion" officially traded its red vest for a deep blue coat, and it didn't happen by accident.
Joe Biden didn't just win; he cleared the floor. He pulled in 2,413,568 votes, which gave him 54.11% of the total. Compare that to Donald Trump’s 1,962,430 votes (44.00%), and you’re looking at a double-digit margin. That 10.1% gap was the strongest showing for any Democrat in Virginia since FDR back in 1944. Think about that for a second. We’re talking World War II era records being shattered in the suburbs of Richmond and NoVa.
The Suburban Shift and Virginia Election Results 2020
You’ve probably heard people talk about the "suburban revolt." In Virginia, that wasn't just a talking head's theory—it was the reality on the ground. Places like Loudoun and Prince William Counties, which used to be the crown jewels of the Virginia GOP, completely flipped the script.
Biden didn't just squeak by in these areas. He dominated.
✨ Don't miss: Recent Greene County Indiana Obituaries: What Most People Get Wrong
- Fairfax County: Biden took nearly 70% of the vote.
- Loudoun County: He hit 61.5%.
- Prince William County: A solid 63.6%.
- Henrico County: Over 63%.
It’s wild because these used to be the places where moderate Republicans lived and breathed. But by the time the virginia election results 2020 were certified, the map showed a clear divide. The "urban crescent"—that arc stretching from Northern Virginia down through Richmond and over to Virginia Beach—was a sea of blue. Meanwhile, the rural south and southwest remained deeply, stubbornly red. It’s like the state split into two different worlds.
The Down-Ballot Drama
Everyone focuses on the White House, but the congressional races were where the real "trench warfare" happened. Democrats went into the night holding seven out of the eleven House seats. They walked away with... exactly seven.
Wait, that sounds boring, right? No change?
👉 See also: The Largest Mass Shooting in the US: What Really Happened in Las Vegas
Actually, it was a nail-biter. Abigail Spanberger, who just recently won the Governor's mansion in our 2025 elections, was fighting for her life in the 7th District back then. She barely clipped Nick Freitas, winning by just about a couple of percentage points. It was the same story for Elaine Luria in the 2nd District. These weren't "safe" seats; they were hard-fought brawls that proved Democrats could hold onto moderate territory even when the national climate was tense.
Over in the 5th District, things went the other way. Bob Good, a more hard-right Republican, managed to beat Cameron Webb. That seat had been held by Denver Riggleman, a Republican who got ousted in a convention basically because he officiated a same-sex wedding. That specific race showed that while the state was trending blue, the GOP base in the rural parts was actually moving further to the right.
The Amendment Nobody Saw Coming
Kinda buried under the presidential noise was Question 1. You remember that one? It was the constitutional amendment to change how redistricting works.
Basically, it took the power to draw lines away from the politicians (mostly) and gave it to a commission of citizens and legislators. It passed with a massive 65.69% of the vote. People were sick of gerrymandering. Funnily enough, the state Democratic party actually told people to vote no on it because they were worried it would lead to deadlocks. They were kinda right—the commission did eventually deadlock, and the state Supreme Court had to step in—but the voters didn't care. They wanted the system fixed.
Why the 2020 Numbers Still Matter Today
If you’re looking at the virginia election results 2020 now, in 2026, you can see the blueprint for everything that followed. The turnout was insane—75.07%. That’s nearly 4.5 million people showing up.
This massive engagement wasn't just a one-off. It set a new floor for what "high turnout" looks like in the Commonwealth. We saw it again in the 2025 cycle where Abigail Spanberger won the governorship with 57.2% of the vote. The coalition Biden built—younger voters, college-educated suburbanites, and a diversifying population in the Richmond suburbs—didn't just go home after 2020. They stayed.
✨ Don't miss: Snow in Seattle Forecast: Why Everyone is Getting it Wrong Right Now
What about the GOP?
Honestly, the 2020 results were a wake-up call that the Virginia GOP answered in 2021 with Glenn Youngkin, but then seemed to lose the thread again by 2024 and 2025. The 2020 data showed that a "Trump-style" candidate struggled in the statewide Virginia environment. Trump’s 44% was a ceiling he couldn't break.
Moving Forward: What You Can Do
Understanding the past is great for trivia, but if you want to actually influence where Virginia goes next, you've got to be more than a spectator. The 2020 results proved that every single vote in Henrico or Chesterfield actually does move the needle.
- Check your current registration: Virginia has made it easier with automatic voter registration, but if you've moved since the 2024 or 2025 elections, update your info on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
- Study the new maps: Remember that Redistricting Amendment? The lines look different now than they did in 2020. Make sure you know which district you actually live in before the next primary season.
- Look at the local level: 2020 taught us that the "suburban shift" starts with local school boards and town councils. Those results often predict how the county will swing in the next big presidential year.
The virginia election results 2020 weren't just a win for one party; they were a total re-calibration of the state's political DNA. Virginia isn't a "swing state" the way it was in 2008. It’s something new, and it all started with those 4.4 million ballots cast four years ago.