In Northern Virginia retail politics may be the key to winning Wexton's district

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — In Virginia, the race is on to replace popular incumbent Jennifer Wexton in the 10th District.

Democrat Suhas Subramanyam and Republican Mike Clancy are battling it out across Loudoun, Fauquier, Fairfax and Prince William counties for the open seat.

If you ask any political expert, the best way to get votes is through retail politics. The one-on-one conversations, handshakes, and interactions get more votes than any other campaigning.

WUSA followed the two men vying for Jennifer Wexton’s seat to see their brand of retail politics and how voters respond on the trail.

“We have an app here [pointed at his phone] and it shows how many people are in the house, which way they usually vote,” Suhas Subramanyam said. “So it might say they’re an Independent or Democrat.”

We found Subramanyam in a Brambleton neighborhood in Loudoun County using new technology to do old fashioned work: door knocks.

“My name is Suhas,” he started at one door.

“I know you!” the man inside the house smiled. “It is nice to meet you!”

At each door that Subramanyam went, he had a different interaction. Sometimes voters tell him what they want to be done. Other times he introduces himself and his politics. Quite often, no one is home, but with doorbell cameras- he can now leave messages.

At one door he gives a homeowner his quick pitch.

“I care a lot about making sure we have a good economy here and making sure we protect women’s reproductive rights,” he told the voter at the door. “My info is on [this packet]. I hope we can count on your vote.”

The man smiled and tells Subramanyam he will vote for him. Reproductive rights are one of this voter’s big issues.

“I think this is my favorite part, talking to people,” he told us as we walked. “It’s like you get a focus group everyday.”

Across Loudoun County in Leesburg, Subramanyam’s opponent took his message to early voters at a polling place.

“Hi! I’m Mike Clancy! Great to meet you!” he greeted a voter.

“It’s great to meet you,” the man responded.

“I’d be honored to have your vote today!” Clancy pitched.

“You got it!”

Mike Clancy has a different calculus this afternoon. He is banking on seeing more voters consistently at the Leesburg polls.

“We are getting 200 plus voters an hour through here,” he explained. “So, it’s a great way to meet and engage with the voters one on one.”

He wants that last conversation with the voter just before they cast their ballot. We followed Clancy around as he chatted up potential voters.

“We got your signs all in our yards!” one man shouted as he shook Clancy’s hand.

“I try to feed off them and see what they wanna talk about,” Clancy explained. “I tell you the number one issues have been the economy.”

Within a few minutes a woman comes up to tell Clancy her story.

‘Yea my wages have gone down dramatically and everything has gone up,” she lamented.

Clancy tells her he wants to change that and she tells him she has already decided to vote for him. But he doesn’t think you can ever be too sure.

“This is really a chance to close the deal so to speak and convince them ‘Vote for Mike Clancy that’s the right way to go!’” he finished.

It’s an election about the country’s direction and whose vision suits the voters more. In less than two weeks, we’ll know whose retail politics District 10 bought.