Case Study: 2019 VA HD-28

Del. Joshua Cole

Stanford Campaigns’ research helped paint a picture of a Trump-style Republican.

Joshua Cole ran for Virginia House District 28 in 2017, losing by just 73 votes. Cole challenged Paul Milde, a Trump-esque Republican who knocked out a more moderate member of his party in the primary, to a rematch in 2019.

Our research helped launch an aggressive communications effort to persuade voters that Milde was out of touch on healthcare issues, namely his opposition to Medicaid expansion and Obamacare. The effort paid off, as Cole won on election night 52-48, becoming the first African-American and youngest person to win his seat and the first Democrat to win the district since 1982.