Alana Goodman writes for the Washington Free Beacon about the disconnect between the new Virginia governor’s campaign promises and her actions in office.
When Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D., Va.) ran for office last year, she campaigned as a “moderate” and told voters she had “no plans” to gerrymander her state’s congressional districts. Now, she’s pushing for a ballot measure doing just that.
“I’m voting yes on Virginia’s redistricting amendment,” Spanberger said in a video posted on X on Wednesday. “At this extraordinary moment, I urge all Virginians to join me.”
Spanberger’s remarks represent a dramatic shift from her position during her gubernatorial campaign last year.
“Short answer is no,” she said last August when asked if she had any intention of changing the maps if elected. “I’ve been watching with interest what other states are doing, but I have no plans to redistrict Virginia.”
Spanberger did not respond to a request for comment.
The governor’s turnabout comes as national Democrats push Virginia voters to pass a redistricting amendment to the state’s constitution in an April 21 special election.
The amendment would redraw Virginia’s congressional map to give Democratic candidates an electoral edge in four U.S. House of Representatives districts currently held by Republicans. The new map would give Democrats a 10-1 advantage among the state’s 11 districts, potentially helping the party clinch the House majority in this fall’s midterm elections.
Democrats across the country—including George Soros-backed groups—have poured tens of millions of dollars into the redistricting campaign, framing it as an effort to “stop Donald Trump.” The blitz includes TV ads featuring former president Barack Obama and billboards in Republican-leaning areas of the state implying that Trump supports the amendment.
While Democrats are reportedly outspending Republicans on advertising by 14 to 1, some political observers have pointed to early signs of trouble for the gerrymandering effort.
