– The Washington Times
Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin is making a last-ditch plea to Virginia voters, urging them to vote against a redistricting ballot measure on Tuesday and warning that the Democrats want to replace the fairest congressional map in the country with a heavily gerrymandered one.
“Virginians should stand up and vote no tomorrow,” Mr. Youngkin said Monday on Fox News.
The Virginia vote is the latest flashpoint in a nationwide redistricting arms race that started after President Trump pushed the Texas legislature to adopt new congressional maps meant to help Republicans net five seats in the midterm elections this fall, increasing the chances they could defend their slim House majority.
Democrats first countered in California, where voters approved new congressional lines meant to offset the Texas gains.
Republicans in Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio also adopted maps more favorable to their party. GOP efforts in Indiana stalled after some Republican lawmakers refused to back Mr. Trump’s push. In Maryland, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore’s plan to eliminate the state’s only Republican-held district died in the Democrat-run legislature.
That has put more focus on Virginia, where new maps could help Democrats net four seats and establish a 10-1 congressional majority in the state. The Democrat-controlled General Assembly pushed the constitutional amendment now before voters, which would allow lawmakers to redraw congressional districts outside the normal 10-year redistricting cycle.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, is also pushing state lawmakers in a special legislative session this week to redraw that state’s maps.
The Cook Political Report projects that, when the dust settles, the national changes will likely be a wash.
In Virginia, more than 1.3 million ballots have already been cast ahead of the election on Tuesday.
Both parties have saturated the airwaves, with combined spending topping $70 million.
According to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project, House Majority Forward, the outside group aligned with House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, has given more than $30 million to Virginia for Fair Elections, which calls the mid-decade redistricting a “temporary, emergency referendum to ensure fair and transparent congressional representation for 2026.”
Mr. Youngkin accused advocates of running a deceptive campaign, citing a Washington Post editorial calling the yes side “brazenly dishonest.”
Virginia voters amended the state constitution in 2020 with roughly two-thirds support to establish a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission. Mr. Youngkin said Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger and her allies are now trying to circumvent that mandate.
“Two-thirds of Virginians said we want politics out, politicians out,” Mr. Youngkin said.
The current map, drawn under the independent process, gives Democrats a 6-5 edge in congressional seats — an outcome Mr. Youngkin said he doesn’t love but called fair.
The race appeared close heading into Election Day.
Former President Barack Obama recorded a video urging a yes vote, calling it important “not just for the Commonwealth, but for our entire country.”
Mr. Youngkin said the opposition coalition extends well beyond Republicans. “Not only Republicans coming together, but independents and a lot of Democrats,” he said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
