Mark Levin is helpfully pointing out that Tuesday’s blowout for the Virginia GOP had a lot of help from federal judges who “selected a Virginia House of Delegates redistricting map that appears to heavily favor Democrats”:
Virginia Republican Party did have to overcome this …https://t.co/YRZonaeBia
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) November 6, 2019
From the Washington Post in January:
Federal judges have selected a Virginia House of Delegates redistricting map that appears to heavily favor Democrats, redrawing the lines of 26 districts and moving several powerful Republicans into unfavorable configurations.
Six Republicans would wind up in districts where a majority of voters chose Democratic President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election, according to an analysis of the maps by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. No current Democrats would see their voter majority change to Republican, based on those election results.
Virginia does not register voters by party.
If the court’s map selection stands, it would create a favorable environment for Democrats seeking to take control of the House of Delegates in elections this fall, according to the analysis. All 100 seats in the House are on the ballot, and Republicans hold a 51-to-48 majority.
Princeton professor Sam Wang agrees:
Let's be clear about this: Undoing a racial gerrymander was the single biggest factor in today's Virginia House election. The power of redistricting – and conversely, an unfair map – dwarfs nearly every other factor in representation. https://t.co/jYxIobjCoH
— Sam Wang (@SamWangPhD) November 6, 2019
And now Virginia Dems will have full control over redistricting in 2020:
Virginia Democrats will now have full control over 2020s redistricting https://t.co/LlsOpYnIp8
— Stephen Wolf (@PoliticsWolf) November 6, 2019
But, there’s some talk that the legislature will adopt redistricting reform that ends partisan gerrymandering:
Why the incoming Dem legislature in Virginia may yet still pass redistricting reform for 2020 instead of drawing their own gerrymanders. A reform measure near unanimously passed the legislature earlier this year, & it would would only take a few Dem defectors to stop gerrymanders https://t.co/vnqLuDPWcR
— Stephen Wolf (@PoliticsWolf) November 6, 2019
Dems even campaigned on it, so we’ll see if they put their money where their mouths have been:
#VIRGINIA: Congrats to all the candidates elected to the General Assembly tonight. While party control has shifted, the focus on #FairMaps should not. We expect the new Democratic majority to remain committed to the redistricting reforms they championed while in the minority.
— Common Cause (@CommonCause) November 6, 2019
We plan to work with our partners, including @1VA2021, to push @VAHouseDems, @vahousegop, @VASenateDems, & @VASenateGOP to continue to pass strong legislation enabling redistricting reform so #FairMaps will be put in place in 2021. #VALeg
— Common Cause (@CommonCause) November 6, 2019
In the end, our work to end gerrymandering is not about empowering any political party. It's about empowering the people and ensuring they have fair voting maps. This is the promise #VALeg politicians made to voters, and we will work to hold them to that promise.
— Common Cause (@CommonCause) November 6, 2019
But after spending all that money to win everything, they’re just going to give it up? We. Are. Doubtful:
New: National Dems are dumping unprecedented $$ into Virginia state elections — a key 1st step to gain leverage in post-2020 redistricting
And Rs are sounding the alarm:
”They have finally woken up and seen there’s this thing called state legislatures”https://t.co/ZoMWljPnjr
— Ally Mutnick (@allymutnick) October 31, 2019
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