Why Virginians should vote "No" on gerrymandering
“Wait for it.”
That phrase is useful for wise discernment. “Wait for it” encourages delayed gratification. “Wait for it” guides us to take a deep breath and think more deeply. “Wait for it” has also become snarky vernacular to indicate a funny moment at the end of a video, or a punchline at the end of a joke.
“Wait for it.”
The childhood activity sheet of “connect the dots” was a fun way to help non-artists draw an intricate image. It involved carefully drawing a line from the dot labelled “1” to the dot labelled “2” and so on. The result was the tracing of a pre-arranged, designed image. Then you could color in the line drawing to embellish your masterpiece.
Next week, Virginians will vote on a Democrat-led effort to redistrict the state. The result, they unashamedly admit, will give the Democrats overwhelming representation in the state politically. They argue this is temporarily necessary to counterbalance what Texas voters did which resulted in more Republican representation (which Texas voters did in response to California’s gerrymandering).
Bryan Cannon wrote The answer to authoritarianism isn’t gerrymandering1 in our regional Cardinal News. I urge you to read his article as he offers two reasons - one moral and one practical - to vote against gerrymandering in Virginia. Cannon knows what he’s talking about. He is “a democracy reform advocate who helped lead Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting reform effort from 2015 to 2021 and works on election reform initiatives nationally.”
This week, we received yet another mailer. We get at least two a day recently - one urging a “yes” vote and one urging a “no” vote. This mailer, though, was the “connect the dots” moment for me. In one mailer, the Left revealed why are they so audaciously attempting to reverse what 2/3 of Virginia voters set in place back in 2020.
“In 2020, Virginians amended the state constitution to prohibit gerrymandering because they believed politicians should not choose their voters. That reform overwhelmingly passed across all ideological lines, because voters understood that cheating to win corrodes democratic legitimacy.” (emphasis mine)2
So why are the Democrats really wanting to pursue this effort?
Wait for it.
Here was the mailer, front and back:3
Connect the dots.
Abortion. That is their ultimate target. If they can stack Virginia votes with Democrats, they can pass a constitutional amendment in VA to enshrine abortion. That’s why they say this gerrymandering will only be “temporary, emergency measure.” In other words, give us power to enshrine abortion, and we’ll gladly give up power after the 2030 census. Yeah, right.
The Democrats strategy? Two-prong:
Fear. They will take your rights away. Trump will gain more power. When either party has no logical arguments and is low on logic, they resort to fear. Fear is an excellent motivator.
Blame Trump. The Left’s obsessive hatred for Donald Trump is almost comical if it weren’t so dangerous.
That’s all they’ve got - fear and… Trump. They aren’t thinking of “fair.” Everyone knows this is unfair for Virginians. They’re not denying that. They claim it is necessary. For their agenda. To legalize the killing of innocents.
Connect the dots.
Sane political observers will admit that the Democrats have other agendas that are disagreeable and disturbing as well. It stands to reason that if given greater power in Virginia, they will have unfettered ability to silence dissent if this effort should pass.
Democrats already have an advantage in our state. They control six districts while Republicans control five.
I voted “NO”
I voted “no” today, and I was deeply disturbed to discover that the ballot read as follows:
“Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?”
Here’s a great quote:
“Gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy and it weakens the individual voices that form our electorates. Opposing gerrymandering should be a bipartisan priority.”4
Who said it? Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, in response to a 2019 redistricting effort was halted by the Supreme Court. When her party has the reins, it’s apparently ok. That’s fair, right?
“The group promoting this amendment calls itself “Virginians for Fair Elections.” But the defense of these maps is not that they are neutral or balanced. The defense is that they are strategically necessary.
That is not a fairness argument. It is a power argument. They’re trying to manipulate us.” - Brian Cannon
The answer to authoritarianism isn’t gerrymandering, by Brian Cannon (Cardinal News: April 2026)
Ibid.
It was sent by Virginians For Fair Elections. Their website has the Democrat governor promoting the “yes” vote. The name of their organization is ridiculous. Fair, indeed. 🤪
Spanberger once blasted gerrymandering and now backs amendment critics say could erase Virginia GOP, by Charles Creitz (Fox News: March 6, 2026)