Final Applicants to Virginia Redistricting Commission: 62% Male, 76% White, 60% >$101k/year; 46% >61 years old

The final numbers are in (source: VPAP) for applicants to the Virginia Redistricting Commission, and…a drumroll please!

• 1,238 people applied to be one of eight citizen members of the Commission, to serve along eight legislators. Note that the citizen members will be nominated by legislative leaders, who remain very much in control of this process, and then selected from the nominees by a panel of retired judges.
• That 1,238 number is up nearly six-fold from 214 applicants with 8 days to go.
• The gender breakout in the final numbers is 62% men-38% women; that compares to 75% men-25% women with 8 days to go.
• The racial/ethnic breakout of final applicants is 76% White, 17% Black, 2.9% Multi-Race, 2.4% Asian…also 4% Hispanic. That compares to 80% White and 12% Black, also 3% Hispanic with 8 days to go…so a bit more diverse racially/ethnically.
• In terms of income, 60% of final applicants earn over $101k per year, compared to 58% of applicants with 8 days to go. So…not much change in this category.
• Age-wise, 46% of final applicants are 61 or older, with another 38% ages 41-60 (combined 84% ages 41+). That compares to 60% of applicants with 8 days to go ages 61 and older and 29% ages 41-60 (combined 89% ages 41+). So…a bit younger in the final applicants pool.
• In terms of partisan affiliation, self-identified Democrats hold the advantage over self-identified Republicans by a 48%-18% margin, with 31% listing themselves as “no party.”
• Finally, just 3% of final applicants are from SW Virginia (up from zero with 8 days to go, with 34% from Northern Virginia, 25% from Central Virginia, 17% from Hampton Roads, etc.