Virginia at 250: Leadership, Democracy and the Future of the Commonwealth

A conversation on Virginia's enduring influence on America

Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026
5–7 p.m.
W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
922 Park Ave., Richmond, Virginia

Free and open to the public. Registration is requested.

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As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs and the College of Humanities and Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University will convene a timely conversation about Virginia’s enduring influence on America.

Featuring former Virginia governors L. Douglas Wilder and Jim Gilmore, University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato and Robyn Diehl McDougle, interim dean of the Wilder School and director of its Commonwealth Poll, the discussion will consider the commonwealth’s contributions to American democracy and civic life while exploring the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities that will help define its future. Bob Holsworth will moderate the conversation.

The program will be hosted by Catherine Ingrassia, dean of the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences, and is presented as part of the college’s America at 250 series.

Featured panelists 

 

L. Douglas Wilder

L. Douglas Wilder is Virginia’s 66th governor and the nation’s first elected African American governor. He served five terms in the Virginia Senate and as lieutenant governor before making history with his election as governor in 1989. In 2005, he became Richmond’s first popularly elected mayor in nearly six decades. The namesake of VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Wilder continues to advance people-first governance and prepare future generations for public service.

Jim Gilmore

Jim Gilmore served as Virginia’s 68th governor from 1998 to 2002. His public service career also includes terms as Virginia attorney general, Henrico County commonwealth’s attorney and chairman of the Republican National Committee. From 2019 to 2021, he served as the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. A Richmond native, Gilmore is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia School of Law.

Larry J. Sabato, Ph.D.

Larry J. Sabato is the founder and director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and University Professor of Politics at UVA. A Rhodes Scholar and nationally recognized political analyst, he is the author or editor of more than two dozen books on American politics. Sabato frequently provides election analysis for national and international news organizations and leads the center’s widely followed Sabato’s Crystal Ball.

Robyn Diehl McDougle, Ph.D.

Robyn Diehl McDougle is interim dean of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU and director of the Wilder School’s Commonwealth Poll. A member of the Wilder School faculty since 2004, she is a nationally recognized scholar whose work connects rigorous research with the needs of governments and communities. Under her leadership, the Commonwealth Poll has become an influential source of public-opinion research on elections, policy priorities and issues affecting Virginians.

Moderator

Bob Holsworth, Ph.D.

Bob Holsworth is one of Virginia’s most frequently cited political analysts. He is managing partner of DecideSmart and the founding director of both the Center for Public Policy and the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU. Holsworth has also served as dean of VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences. His commentary on Virginia and national politics has appeared in leading news outlets across the country.

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Welcome remarks

Catherine Ingrassia, Ph.D.

Catherine Ingrassia is dean of VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences and a professor of English. A scholar of 18th-century British literature and culture, she has held numerous academic and administrative leadership roles at VCU. Under her leadership, the college launched the America at 250 series to encourage thoughtful civic discourse about the nation’s founding ideals, the evolution of American democracy and the challenges shaping its future.

About the Wilder Symposium

A signature event of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, the Wilder Symposium is an annual forum featuring the school’s namesake, Gov. L. Douglas Wilder. The event examines issues spanning local governance, state policy and national politics, providing a vibrant platform for discovery, civic engagement and critical discussion in the commonwealth.

About the Wilder Symposium

A signature event of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, the Wilder Symposium is an annual forum hosted by the school’s namesake, Governor L. Douglas Wilder. The event highlights everything from local policies to state and national politics and has become a vibrant platform for activism, discovery and critical discussion in the Commonwealth.