Students express support, reluctance for Virginia Democrats’ redistricting plans

Kayla Munecas, Contributing Writer

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor

Virginia Democrats are working to implement a constitutional amendment that will allow them to redraw the state’s congressional districts and give themselves an advantage in next year’s midterm congressional elections. 

As Virginia joins California in offsetting other states redistricting to help Republicans under the pressure of President Donald Trump, some VCU students have said they support Democrats’ fight, but are uncomfortable that it is on the playing field of “gerrymandering.”

The current fight over voting maps began in July when Trump pressured Texas to redraw their districts ahead of 2026, according to the Associated Press. Other Republican-leaning states have since done the same — spurring Democrats to “fight fire with fire.”

Gerrymandering is the process of legislators redrawing voting maps to give their respective parties the upper hand. They do so by either redistributing voters they do not favor between multiple split districts, or packing other voters into one safe district. Both major parties have been guilty of the practice.

Virginia has a history of gerrymandering dating back to the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era, when lawmakers used the practice to keep Black voters from gaining representation in Congress.

The practice was effectively outlawed in 2020 when lawmakers and voters amended the Virginia constitution to leave redistricting up to a nonpartisan commission. Democrats’ proposed amendment would add a new option allowing the General Assembly — which they currently control — to redistrict only to offset other states redistricting. 

Second-year history student Brooks Tunstall said Democrats using gerrymandering as a battleground is hypocritical, but Trump is forcing them to play by his hand.

“Asking me, I think it’s necessary,” Tunstall said. “A lot of Democrats are waking up and realizing they’re not going to be able to accomplish what they want if who they’re up against isn’t playing by the rules. If you play by the rules that they’re playing by, you’re going to be able to put up a fight. But then again, we have to draw a line.”

Tunstall said other states should not follow in Virginia’s footsteps.

Texas, Utah, Missouri and North Carolina — all Republican-leaning states — have passed new district maps for their members of the House of Representatives. Louisiana, Ohio, Indiana and Kansas are taking steps to do the same.

On the Democratic side, only California has passed a new map — though the state has 55 total districts, more than any other state. Maryland, New York and Illinois Democrats are considering following suit. 

Fourth-year political science student Gus Bristow said it would be hypocritical for more blue states to redistrict given Democrats are supposed to be a party that stands for rules and democracy, but it makes sense politically. 

“To me, it feels like dirty politics,” Bristow said. “But also, it kind of makes sense for Democrats to do this, because if they’re already being pushed in states like Texas and North Carolina to a redistrict. It kind of just, it feels bad and I feel like I know it’s wrong, but it also feels like it makes sense.”

Some students said Democrats must redistrict in the face of the Republican-leaning Supreme Court considering a repeal of section two of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color or membership.

Some Republican states are preparing to redraw their district lines if the act gets overturned. It has blocked numerous map drawings for being discriminatory. 

“They’re trying to overturn a part of the Voting Rights act, which would get rid of some 20 Democratic seats and representation for minorities, and Republicans have already gerrymandered the hell out of multiple states,” said Everett Beach, a first-year political science student.

Third-year political science student Ella White said while both parties have participated in gerrymandering, Republicans have done so far more in recent decades.

“I think for the past 10 years, Democrats have been always the ones saying, you know, ‘when they go low, we go high,’ and it’s failed us,” White said. “We’re in an all-out, unprecedented assault on democracy, and we can’t just let them take 20 plus House seats away from us.”