Henrico Democrats and Republicans make final campaign pushes ahead of redistricting referendum
With Virginia’s redistricting referendum just days away, Henrico’s democratic and republican committees are packing in the last few rallies before the county will vote on potential new congressional districts.
As of April 17, 19.7% of Henrico’s registered voters have cast their ballots in the referendum. The last day of early voting is Saturday, which the Henrico Democrats will kick off with a canvass launch hosted by Gov. Abigail Spanberger in Western Henrico.
If passed, the redistricting proposal would temporarily shift Virginia’s congressional map to 10 democratic-leaning districts and one republican-leaning district until the 2030 census is completed. Democrats currently hold six congressional districts in the state.
The proposal would move Henrico’s western half from the Republican-held First District to the newly-created Fifth District, which would also include Richmond’s West End, Midlothian, Farmville, and more areas southwest. The eastern half of Henrico would remain in the Democrat-held Fourth District, which would expand southwest to Danville and other towns along the North Carolina border.
On April 11, Henrico Democrats held small rallies for the “Vote Yes” campaign in Eastern and Western Henrico, and then hosted a larger gathering with U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) in Eastern Henrico on April 12.
Democratic leaders from all different levels of leadership – the Henrico School Board, Henrico Board of Supervisors, the state house and senate, and the U.S. Congress – joined together over the weekend to push Henrico residents to vote on or before Election Day April 21.
“We want everybody to know that we are aligned in Henrico County, from the very top of the food chain to the very bottom,” said Henrico Board of Supervisors Chair Roscoe Cooper. “We’ve got to push back against what’s going on in Washington, D.C.”
Officials cited recent redistricting efforts in states such as Texas and Missouri, led by Republican representatives, as the catalyst for Virginia Democrats’ redistricting push.
“And why do we even have to have this referendum? Because Donald Trump told Texas and Missouri to find him more seats in the House because he thinks that’s the only way that Republicans will keep control,” said Fourth District representative Jennifer McClellan (D-VA). “But we are going to fight back. We in California and Virginia, we are leveling the playing field. But unlike Texas and Missouri, we’re giving you the power to decide.”
“No matter what they say – ‘Oh, this is so unfair’ – this is about the fairest thing we can do,” said state house representative Delores McQuinn, who represents parts of Eastern Henrico. “We have sat back for the last almost two years watching what’s happening to us.”
At a meeting in Sandston sponsored by the Henrico Republican Committee on April 13, Republican John Reid, who ran for lieutenant governor last year, gathered with a small group of Henrico and Hanover residents to discuss how the redistricting proposal would impact the region.
If the proposal passes, current First District representative Rob Wittman (R-VA) would be moved into a democratic-leaning district and would face an extreme disadvantage in the 2026 midterms, Reid said. Several democrats have announced their campaigns against Wittman for Congress, including Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor.
“The purge is on to get rid of Rob Wittman,” Reid said. “Rob Wittman is in a competitive race, it is not a shoo-in for Rob Wittman at all. If this thing passes, we’re going to know that this is not competitive anymore.”
Henrico County has shifted left during the past 20 years, Reid said, but there is still a core group of Democrats and a core group of Republicans in the area. The proposed congressional map would allow urban centers in Northern Virginia, which tend to be heavily Democratic, overpower the votes from more rural or suburban areas of Virginia, Reid said.
“The practical issue here is that five of the congressional districts will now be anchored with votes in Fairfax County alone,” he said. “You’re asking everybody in rural Virginia to accept domination by one county out of over 100 counties in this state. Even if you’re a Democrat, you’ve got to concede that is not right, and that changes the dynamic throughout the state.”
Reid and other Republican officials, such as state house representative Buddy Fowler and Fifth District representative John McGuire (R-VA), have held several rallies in rural areas such as Culpeper, Kilmarnock, and Louisa encouraging residents to vote no on the referendum.
Hanover’s republican committee will host a rally on Sunday that will include remarks from Steve Bannon, a former advisor to President Donald Trump.
Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s government and education reporter. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.
