ROANOKE, Va. – Gov. Ralph Northam’s mask order comes with plenty of controversy.
Dr. Ed Lynch, 10 News political analyst, said politically, the governor’s order has Republicans against him, evident from their statements released on Tuesday.
Lynch said this also highlights a downside of the state’s one-term-and-out system for governors.
“It has had one definite impact: It has united the Virginia Republican party," said Lynch. “He has nothing to lose politically, and while that can have some good things in that it can increase political courage, it also makes political leaders almost impervious to public pressure and that’s never a good thing in a democracy.”
Lynch said it is now up to state Democrats to encourage Northam to be more responsive to public opinion.