It would probably help them, because it would be the final nail in the coffin of using identity politics and anti-rural appeals to try to flip suburban libertarians. Even if Northam still wins, between Ossoff and VA being closer than 2016, NeverTrump just won't vote against Generic R, so they need to find a new strategy.
It would likely lead to a Bernie style all economic inequality all the time campaign and some Dem candidates making outright apologies to rural voters. For a long time I thought the flip the suburbs against Trump strategy was the way to go, but between this and GA-06 and 2016, I can't argue against the data. Also, if it was working, they should have won VA and CO by 10-15 last year and turned them the way of the Bill Clinton-McCain states, not Clinton by 5 and a tied governor's race. The fact that Northam isn't up by Republicans' 2010 margins in the Clinton-McCain states should be alarming, even if he wins.
I agree with this assessment.
And at a more local level, with a Governor Ed Gillespie, Republicans would be in a prime position to consolidate their hold on the General Assembly (assuming they hold the Senate in 2019), and possibly push through some constitutional changes (following North Carolina's example) that would remove the redistricting veto from the Governor in exchange for enabling him or his successor to run for a second term.
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