commonwealth

The commonwealth is home to hundreds of thousands of federal employees, many of whom faced job losses or furloughs during the recent government shutdown.

They want to keep and improve the island’s current status as a commonwealth.

Large pluralities seek either U.S. statehood or an enhanced form of the current commonwealth status, while a smaller minority vie for independence.

The commonwealth’s odd-year elections tend to favor the party that isn’t in the White House, and Northern Virginia is full of federal employees.

The downturn is impacting different parts of the commonwealth, including Bardstown, Ky., a city of about 13,500 people south of Louisville.