On April 21st, millions of Virginia residents cast their ballots to ultimately approve a proposed new congressional map. Albemarle County was formerly in the 5th Congressional District, represented by Congressman John McGuire, a Republican. With the new map approved, the county will move into the 6th Congressional District, along with the cities of Lynchburg and Roanoke.
The map has sparked controversy throughout the state and the nation, with some framing the map as necessary to offset other redrawn districts, and others decrying it as partisan gerrymandering. Many Western seniors took the opportunity to cast their votes for the first time. Senior Ollie Woodrow voted no in the referendum, saying that he was opposed “to partisan gerrymandering by either party.” Carson Floyd used his first electoral opportunity to vote yes, believing the new map was necessary to counter similar efforts in other states by “fighting fire with fire.”
AP Government teacher Molly Miracle was thrilled by the participation of so many students in the special election. At the beginning of the year, one of the first topics Miracle’s class discussed was the ongoing redistricting fight in Texas. Miracle says the referendum “was really a culmination of the AP Government curriculum,” and said she was “glad that so many of my students got to have a firsthand role in the process.” She hopes her students will continue to frequent the ballot box in coming years.
With the passage of the amendment to Virginia’s state constitution, the partisan makeup of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts has shifted dramatically. Currently, 6 of Virginia’s districts are represented by Democrats, and the remaining 5 are Republican-led. Under the new map, 10 districts are expected to be won by Democrats, and only 1 is projected to remain under Republican control. State Republican officials have vowed to challenge the map, and are currently in the process of appealing to the Virginia Supreme Court.
