Without Regard to Incumbency

Virginia's new Redistricting Commission has voted to allow its consultants to consider where incumbent state lawmakers live. But preliminary maps, which cover a portion of Northern Virginia, did not take incumbent addresses into account. The result (shown below) would create some districts with more than one lawmaker and others with no incumbent at all.

House of Delegates

Plan A-1 Plan B-1

Plan A-1: Drawn by the Commission's Republican Consultant

Plan B-1: Drawn by the Commission's Democratic Consultant

State Senate

Plan A-1 Plan B-1

Plan A-1: Drawn by the Commission's Republican Consultant

Plan B-1: Drawn by the Commission's Democratic Consultant

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Source: Virginia Redistricting Commission

Notes: It remains unclear how much deference Virginia's new Redistricting Commission will give to incumbent lawmakers when drawing new legislative districts. When legislators controlled the process, incumbent protection was a chief concern. The responsibility of drawing maps now resides with the Commission, consisting of eight state lawmakers and eight citizens. In procedural votes that will guide mapmakers, the Commission has taken contrary votes on issues related to incumbent protection. In a 9-6 vote, the Commission agreed to allow mapmakers to consider where lawmakers reside. In a 12-4 vote, the Commission agreed to start with a clean slate and not consider current district boundaries.