The lonely battle of the last Republican lawmaker from Northern Virginia

Tim Hugo, the last Republican legislator in the Virginia suburbs closest to Washington, calls himself "Delegate Pothole." He tweets about neighborhood detours, car break-ins and lane closings. "Be sure to find an alternative route!" he wrote ahead of repair work at one intersection.

Ask him what impact President Donald Trump's unpopularity in Virginia is having on next week's pivotal state election, and Hugo says, "I focus on the local issues."

Ask whether Democrats are succeeding in nationalizing the last election before the 2020 presidential contest, and Hugo says, "I focus on the local issues."

Six questions, six times Hugo repeats the mantra, all the while hurrying out of a candidates forum to avoid a clot of reporters. On the way to the parking lot, a man from Centreville approaches and thanks Hugo for helping to get his local bike trail paved. The delegate stops, appreciates the voter, and announces to any and all, "See, it's all about local politics."

But on the suburban streets of House District 40 that wind through Fairfax and Prince William counties - one of the last pockets of Northern Virginia to transition from largely white, affluent and conservative to a Democrat-leaning mix of immigrants and tech and government workers - Hugo's recipe for winning a ninth term in Richmond may be short on some ingredients.

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