GOP blasts Virginia amendment as maps could swing delegation to 10-1 Democratic advantage
Ahead of a special election on Tuesday, Virginia Republicans blasted a proposed constitutional amendment in their state that could soon cost them their congressional seats, calling the effort the most...
By Fox News · Fox News
Ahead of a special election on Tuesday, Virginia Republicans blasted a proposed constitutional amendment in their state that could soon cost them their congressional seats, calling the effort the most "unfair" of a string of redrawn maps across the country. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., believes it’s a sentiment shared by voters. "I was with a group of Virginia Watermen this morning from across the state and they're [feeling] the same way. They say ‘no, we're not going to let them turn us into a state that's only governed by a portion of the state,’" Wittman said. The Virginia redistricting effort, which requires a statewide vote to go into effect, follows similar shakeups in Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah. BETO O'ROURKE DROPS F-BOMB AS HE URGES DEMS TO 'MEET FIRE WITH FIRE' AGAINST GOP REDISTRICTING PLANS IN TEXAS But unlike many of those other states that already have a distinct party advantage one way or another, Virginia’s GOP blasted what they saw as a drastic power swing they say misrepresents the state’s purple voter base. If successful, the new maps would temporarily turn the current 6-5 congressional split to a 10-1 advantage for Democrats by stretching the borders of traditionally Republican areas across Democratic strongholds. The state's normal process, conducted by a nonpartisan redistricting commission, would go back into effect in 2030 at the next U.S. census. With up to four more seats, Democrats hope to recapture control of the House of Representatives, where a razor-thin majority favors Republicans — for now. The GOP holds a 217-213 advantage in the chamber. Democrats supporting the idea argue that Virginia is key to balancing out Republican-led gerrymandering efforts that began in Texas, describing the push as purely retaliatory. "Virginia’s redistricting referendum gives voters the power to respond to a president who says he’s ‘entitled’ to more GOP seats in Congress before Americans vote in the midterms [and] to efforts i…