Obama Throws His Support Behind Virginia Democrats' Redistricting Plan As It Heads To Voters

Former President Obama is promoting a Democratic effort to redraw legislature lines successful Virginia, nan latest beforehand successful a nationwide redistricting conflict up of this year’s midterm elections.

The announcement Thursday comes a time aft nan authorities Supreme Court allowed nan redistricting mobility to spell to voters for an April 21 election. Early voting originates Friday.

It’s nan 2nd clip Obama has agreed to stump for a Democratic effort that asks voters to temporarily group speech an independent redistricting process successful favour of partisan maps arsenic a measurement to antagonistic President Donald Trump’s push for legislature gerrymandering successful Republican-controlled states. California voters approved a akin measurement past autumn arsenic a counterpoint to Republicans’ different mid-cycle redistricting that began successful Texas.

In a video shared pinch nan Associated Press up of its release, Obama asks Virginians to support nan elector referendum connected nan redrawn maps. He said it will make judge “your voting powerfulness is not diminished by what Republicans are doing successful different states.”

“This amendment gives you nan powerfulness to level nan playing section successful nan midterms this fall,” Obama says successful nan video, released by Virginians for Fair Elections. “And voters will person nan last opportunity complete what nan maps look like.”

In February, Virginia Democrats released a caller legislature representation aimed astatine giving their statement 4 much seats. The Democratic-led legislature passed nan projected map, and Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed nan archive into law.

The representation goes into effect only if it’s backed by voters and nan authorities Supreme Court.

And, Obama goes connected to constituent out, it’s a impermanent construct, arsenic was nan measurement put earlier California voters. After nan adjacent census successful 2030, he notes, “Virginia will spell backmost to a strategy that lets a bipartisan redistricting committee redraw nan maps.”

Court challenges continue

The business successful Virginia has been evolving swiftly, and location are nary guarantees nan caller representation will return effect this twelvemonth moreover if it’s approved by voters.

Wednesday’s ruling by nan Virginia Supreme Court was nan 2nd clip it has decided that nan caller representation could spell earlier voters while nan justices reappraisal ineligible challenges to nan effort. The tribunal still has not ruled connected whether nan mid-decade redistricting scheme and elector referendum are legal, indicating that nan April ballot could beryllium each for thing if it upholds a lower-court ruling blocking nan effort.

Democratic lawmakers successful Virginia person sought to represent their redistricting scheme arsenic a consequence to Trump’s push for Republican states to redraw their maps successful an effort to support a GOP mostly successful nan House of Representatives. Republicans picture it arsenic a measurement for liberals successful bluish Virginia to commandeer legislature districts successful nan remainder of nan state.

Virginia is presently represented successful nan U.S. House by six Democrats and 5 Republicans who ran successful districts imposed by a tribunal aft a bipartisan legislative committee grounded to work together connected a representation aft nan 2020 census.

Obama has made redistricting a priority

Redistricting has evolved into a signature rumor for Obama.

He has called attraction to nan rumor since leaving agency successful 2017 and helped raise money for nan National Democratic Redistricting Committee and its affiliates, 1 of which has revenge and supported litigation successful respective states complete GOP-drawn districts. That group is headed by Eric Holder, who served arsenic Obama’s lawyer general.

Obama was a vocal protagonist of nan Democratic redistricting ballot measurement past twelvemonth successful California and appeared successful ads supporting Proposition 50, which nan U.S. Supreme Court upheld past month.

Speaking astatine an NDRC fundraiser astatine nan time, Obama said partisan gerrymandering was not his “preference.” But, he added, if Democrats “don’t respond effectively, past this White House and Republican-controlled authorities governments each crossed nan country, they will not stop, because they do not look to judge successful this thought of an inclusive, expansive democracy.”

Kinnard writes for nan Associated Press. AP writer Olivia Diaz successful Richmond, Va., contributed to this report.