Voters approved a temporary amendment to the state’s constitution giving Democrats permission to draw new congressional lines that would favor the party in all but one of its 11 House districts.
Virginia Democrats handed Republicans a huge upset after voters approved a mid-decade redistricting plan that could help the Democratic Party win four more House seats ahead of the November midterms with a new map, The Hill reports.
Close to 1.5 million Virginians voted “yes” in the April 21 vote, compared with close to 1.45 million voting “no.” However, Republicans and anti-gerrymandering advocates are labeling the “no” vote as a strong message of resistance to the Democrat-led plan. “Even in defeat, this is a powerful message,” Brian Cannon, co-chair of the advisory council to the bipartisan group No Gerrymandering Virginia, said.
But the conversation started because of the Republican Party.
The 82-year-old senator hasn’t been shy about her thoughts surrounding Trump’s threats or criticism. After the win, she posted an expletive-filled video that began with a recording of the president saying what would happen if Virginia sought to do what they felt was necessary.
However, the battle isn’t over as Florida could still give Republicans a victory with five more seats added contingent on whether the Florida legislature passes a new map in a special session later this month.
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Source: Black Enterprise
