Op/Ed~Redistricting in VA: Power grab disguised as reform

Early voting is underway for Virginia’s April 21 redistricting referendum — but the outcome of the redistricting plan itself is already decided.

Democratic legislators in Richmond have already adopted a new congressional map, written in anticipation that voters will approve the constitutional amendment now on the ballot. If the referendum passes, that map will take effect. And its result is clear: Virginia would send a 10-to-1 Democratic delegation to Congress.

That alone is reason enough to vote “No.”

This referendum is deceptively presented as a measure to “restore fairness.” In reality, it would undo the bipartisan reform Virginians approved just a few years ago to stop partisan gerrymandering.

In 2020, nearly two-thirds of Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment creating a bipartisan redistricting commission. That reform was not partisan. It was championed, sponsored, and supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. The measure placing the amendment on the ballot passed the Virginia Senate 40–0, with full Democratic support, and cleared the House by a wide margin.

At the time, leaders across the political spectrum agreed on a simple principle: voters should choose their representatives — not the other way around.

During that debate, then-Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger said it plainly: “Gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy. … Opposing gerrymandering should be a bipartisan policy.”

Her point was right then — and it is still right today.

The reform voters approved worked. The process produced districts that reflected the political diversity of the Commonwealth and yielded a relatively balanced congressional delegation. But following political developments at the national level — and seeing a potential opportunity in Virginia — Democratic leaders in Richmond moved quickly to reverse course. Rather than respect the process voters approved, they are now asking voters to change the rules again — just a few years later.

The amendment on the ballot would allow the General Assembly to redraw congressional districts before the next census — putting politicians back in charge of the very process voters took away from them.

And the map waiting to take effect makes the consequences clear.

Under that map, Virginia would elect 10 Democrats and just one Republican to Congress. Virginia is not a one-party state. In recent statewide elections, Republican candidates regularly receive 45 to 48 percent of the vote. Nearly half of Virginia voters consistently support Republican candidates.

Yet under the adopted map, those voters would be represented by only one out of 11 members of Congress. That means 92 percent of Virginia’s congressional delegation would be Democrat, despite the electorate being far more evenly divided.

That is not fairness. That is disenfranchisement.

When nearly half the voters in a state are effectively denied meaningful representation in Congress, the problem is not the voters. The problem is the map.

Supporters of the referendum have also framed it as a way to “fight back” against national political developments. But Virginia’s Constitution is not a political weapon. It is not something to be adjusted whenever one party believes it can improve its electoral prospects. It is the set of rules that governs everyone — Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike — across time, not just in the moment.

The amendment underscores that concern. It is explicitly temporary, applying only until the next census. A short-term constitutional change, adopted for immediate political purposes, runs directly counter to the stability a constitution is meant to provide.

The map itself reinforces that point. Rather than reflecting natural communities or regional boundaries, it slices through the Shenandoah Valley — dividing places like Rockingham, Page, Augusta, Bath, and Highland counties that have long shared a common voice — and disperses those voters across multiple districts.

Communities are split apart. Regions are stitched together across long distances. District lines appear designed not to reflect shared interests, but to produce predetermined political outcomes.

In many cases, those lines also appear drawn with specific candidates in mind, protecting some and disadvantaging others. That is the very definition of political gerrymandering.

It is exactly what Virginians rejected in 2020.

Virginia made a deliberate decision just a few years ago to adopt a fairer redistricting process. That decision should not be set aside simply because the outcome did not meet the expectations of those now seeking to change it.

Early voting is underway. I encourage Virginians across the Commonwealth to participate and give this referendum the careful consideration it deserves.

A vote against this amendment is a vote to uphold the process voters approved, to preserve meaningful representation, and to ensure that our Constitution remains a stable framework that governs fairly and consistently for everyone.

Mark D. Obenshain ~ Harrisonburg, Va.

Mark Obenshain is a member of the Virginia State Senate, representing the 2nd District, and practices law in Harrisonburg.

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