Virginia Congressional Redistricting

The Virginia General Assembly returns to Richmond on June 9-10 to draw Virginia’s new Congressional districts.  See Post article.   The House has passed a GOP/incumbent-protection plan that will likely maintain the Republican current 8-3 Congressional majority (which was a 6-5 Democratic majority prior to the 2010 election).  In so doing, it creates a 5th district that runs, snake-like, from the North Carolina boarder to the Loudon county line.  See Va DLS maps (click on District Type, choose Congressional).   The Senate P&E Committee has endorsed a much fairer plan that creates two CDs likely to elect African-American congressmen (3rd & 4th).   Getting some version of the Senate plan through the Assembly and signed by the Governor will be tough, but such a plan would much better represent the racial and political diversity of Virginia.