Folks;
The critical issue for our committee is the proposed referendum to authorize the General Assembly to “temporarily” redraw our congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The proposed districts would violate the state supreme court’s mandate for compactness by extending five districts in western, central, and eastern Virginia with narrow corridors extending into deep-blue northern Virginia, shifting the current 11 congressional districts from 5 Republican-leaning and 6 Democratic-leaning to 1 Republican-leaning and 10 Democratic-leaning. The referendum requires “temporarily” suspending the constitution’s current mandate that redistricting be done by a bipartisan commission, not the legislature.
For voters in the Northern Neck, the proposed district boundaries would effectively give the majority to voters in Fairfax.
Democrats have already dumped $10,000,000 for ads that the referendum is about fairness. The state GOP has nowhere near such resources.
While there are several legal challenges to the constitutionality of the referendum working their way through the courts, we cannot risk assuming the challenges will be successful. We must turn out the vote to ensure this referendum is defeated.
This referendum is currently scheduled to be voted on April 21, with early voting beginning March 6. Scheduling a vote on an issue outside the normal election cycle typically sees low voter awareness and turnout, making it easy for a small constituency to get what it wants.
It’s vital for everyone who can to step up and take whatever actions they can. The RPV has made it much easier to volunteer for specific tasks and provide you with the necessary support. Actions you can take:
- Join the effort via the RPV website: https://virginia.gop/anti-gerrymandering-patriots/
- Here you can volunteer to:
- Knock on 50 doors (through RPV technology)
- Handwriting 50 postcards
- Making 200 phone calls (through RPV technology)
- Writing & Publishing a Letter to the Editor
- Making 30 Social Media Posts (on separate days
- The phrase “through RPV technology” means that RPV will provide you the tools – names and contact information of persons to contact in your area, postcards to fill in, and palm cards to support your door-knocking or phone-calling effort.
We have ordered yard signs, which should be available by our next meeting. We don’t have much time. If you possibly can, please help out.
Sincerely, Edgar Doleman, NCRC Chair