Greater Expectations: Virginians Want Elected Leaders to Focus on Solving Problems

As attention returns to governing after the 2026 elections, a new analysis by Better Choices for Democracy finds that nearly nine in ten Virginia adults (88%) believe it is important that elected leaders work across party lines to solve problems, while only 36% trust state government a great deal (12%) or a lot (24%) to handle issues that matter to their community.

The desire for leaders to work together and doubts about the ability of state government to solve problems also coexist: just over half of Virginia adults (51%) both value cross-party cooperation and express little or no trust in Richmond. But support for working across partisan lines does not necessarily mean that Virginians are willing to accept policies they oppose. When asked how representatives should handle policy disagreements, 47% of all adults say their preference depends on the issue, 32% generally favor compromise, and 12% prefer holding positions even if an agreement cannot be reached.