What’s going on with the Virginia redistricting maps we were promised by January 30? See Punchbowl and Virginia Scope for some details (note: I’ve heard a lot of this stuff – including rumors about Lamont Bagby, Dan Helmer and Russet Perry; about drawing together Tom Perriello and Shannon Taylor; etc. for days or even weeks, but I was told “on deep background”/”off the record,” so couldn’t use it…lol). A few key takeaways:
Per VA Scope: “Part of the delay is due to differences in plans between chambers.”
Per Punchbowl:
- Democrats in both chambers want a 10D-1R map, but they disagree on what that map looks like and blew past their self-imposed deadline last week to release a proposal…
- Leaders in the House of Delegates are in favor of using a map drawn by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. That map targets GOP Reps. Ben Cline, John McGuire, Jen Kiggans and Rob Wittman, and creates a new district anchored in northern Virginia.
- For some Senate Democrats, that last seat is a non-starter because they believe it is drawn to favor state Del. Dan Helmer, who has twice run for Congress and clashed with some in the legislature. Helmer is close, however, with state House Speaker Don Scott.
- The state Senate’s proposal creates a second seat in Loudoun County and another in the Richmond area. Opponents of this map claim those seats are drawn to help two state senators, Lamont Bagby and Russet Perry, make the jump to Congress.
- Another complicating factor: The state Senate’s map would likely loop two top Democratic recruits into one district — Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor and former Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.).
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