Letter to the Editor: Your Voice and Your Vote

April 16, 2026,

On Tuesday, Virginia voters will make a consequential decision through referendum. A ballot question will be considered that will decide U.S. House of Representatives district lines for at least the next five years and could allow legislators to gerrymander maps for the November election to advantage themselves. Legislators have even begun announcing campaigns for the very districts they are attempting to redraw. We urge Commonwealth voters to vote against this problematic measure. 

Gerrymandering is not new. It has a long — and often troubling — history across nearly every state in the nation. In 2019, Virginia’s General Assembly took a meaningful step away from gerrymandering by creating a 16-member redistricting commission made up of both lawmakers and citizens. This bipartisan body was designed to draw district maps more fairly and reduce partisan influence. While not perfect, the commission was a positive step toward taking gerrymandering off the table. In 2020, voters codified this commission into the Constitution of Virginia by an overwhelming majority. 

Now, in 2026, Virginia voters face a ballot measure that would dismantle the commission’s work for the foreseeable future. We urge voters across the Commonwealth to reject this ill-conceived proposal and allow the independent redistricting commission to continue its work — balancing community representation while maintaining districts that are compact, contiguous, and fair.  Voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around.

We’ve all seen those twisted, almost cartoon-like districts that stretch across the map in absurd shapes. They’ve long symbolized the worst of partisan manipulation. Unfortunately, the redistricting maps tied to this new measure would revive those same distortions — with serious consequences for our communities.

Under the proposed map, the localities just outside Richmond would share a district with the City of Falls Church, while Richmond proper and the city of Danville would fall under the same representation. Roanoke would be lumped in with Rosslyn, and Alexandria would share district lines with Williamsburg. Prince William County would be carved into five districts – matched by five more slicing through nearby Fairfax County. Even Democratic U.S. Representative Don Beyer has acknowledged that the proposed districts “seem unfair for Virginia,” though he still attempts to justify them. 

Let’s be clear: this ballot measure was written by Democratic legislators who are pushing it under the deceptive banner of “fairness.” Voters should be wary whenever that word appears on a ballot measure since it too often hides political self-interest behind a veneer of virtue. True fairness requires keeping power in the hands of citizens, not politicians. 

We’ve already seen too many examples of elected officials putting themselves before the public – through misuse of funds, ethical lapses, and broken promises. Gerrymandering only worsens that problem, insulating politicians from accountability and weakening the people’s ability to demand real results. Virginia needs more transparency and scrutiny, not less.

For those reasons, we must vote NO on this measure to preserve the independent redistricting commission approved by Virginians, and to protect the right of voters to shape their representation.

We urge all Virginians to vote NO on Tuesday, April 21, because your voice, and your vote, should always matter most.

Sincerely, 

Falls Church City Republican Committee

chair@fallschurchgop.org

The Falls Church Independent welcomes letters-to-the-editor submittals reflecting a wide range of viewpoints. Publication of a letter does not constitute an endorsement of views expressed.