Geronimo Ritcheson ’29 is a freshman eyeing a major for government or public policy. He’s involved in various organizations such as William and Mary Young Democrats, Theodore Roosevelt Society and Apologetics Club.
The views expressed in the article are the author’s own.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, Californian voters turned out to vote on Proposition 50, a proposed amendment to the state constitution allowing for a Democratic gerrymandering of the state, with five extra blue districts to counter a similar Republican gerrymandering in Texas. Given California’s status as a solid blue state, the proposition easily passed, with around 64% of voters voting “Yes” as of the time of writing. These cases of mid-decade redistricting, while rare, are not isolated incidents. Since July of this year, several states, ranging from Texas and Ohio to California and Utah, have partaken in a broadly unprecedented wave of redistricting aimed at giving both parties more seats for next year’s midterms. Among the states that will potentially join this round of redistricting is the Commonwealth of Virginia, in which a recent proposal for a constitutional amendment, similar to Prop 50, has been approved by both houses of the General Assembly, with both houses likely to vote for it in next year’s session.
I must make it crystal clear that I absolutely oppose any form of gerrymandering, whether it be for the Democratic or Republican parties. While I may serve as a member of the local Young Democrats, I am heavily concerned about the threat this cycle of redistricting poses for American democracy. If the cycle escalates, more and more Americans will be stripped of any meaningful political representation at the hands of the very state legislatures that are meant to be more accountable to them than the federal government, based solely on their voting patterns. With this lack of meaningful representation, voters of both parties will be less trusting of each other and will deepen the polarization and tribalization of our national politics, alongside other factors such as rhetoric and political violence. A further concern is the possibility of future attempts at further gerrymandering that go beyond the current situation, leading to the complete repeal of independent redistricting commissions and the gerrymandering of state districts, thus erasing meaningful democracy on the federal and state levels.
However, I must also clarify that there is a clear culprit to the current cycle of redistricting: President Donald Trump. It was his request to Republican lawmakers in states like Texas and Indiana that kicked off similar efforts in blue states like California and perhaps Virginia. It is his current efforts to delegitimize Prop 50, which was publicly approved by state voters — while allowing Republican lawmakers to unilaterally ram through gerrymandered maps without the consent of the governed — that expose his true hypocrisy and his authoritarian tendencies. In doing so, Trump intends to convert the once-proud GOP into a party of power and Congress into a rubber stamp. While I can never in good conscience endorse any proposed amendment to weaken Virginia’s Redistricting Commission — and actively encourage readers to contact their delegates and senators to oppose the proposed amendment — I do believe that Trump’s continued assault on our democracy, as costs increase and the gap between the richest and poorest Americans grows wider, poses the greatest threat to the American experiment in centuries. Considering the recent victories of Abigail Spanberger and other Democrats in state elections, we as Virginians and Americans must oppose this democratic backsliding and take a stand to Donald Trump and his cronies by canvassing, advocating and voting.
It is my hope that readers take away the inherent dangers of gerrymandering in this situation, and of Trump’s efforts to ensure control of Congress for the foreseeable future. While I may alienate some readers, I do hope you also understand my anxieties regarding the possibility of gerrymandering here in Virginia and that you understand my opposition towards Trump.
