WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY) — With Democrats now in control of the General Assembly, Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) says she favors new district boundaries.
Thursday night, Luria held her first Town Hall meeting in Williamsburg since being sworn into office at the beginning of the year. The city sits at the very northeast end of her district.
“I love representing Williamsburg, so I don’t want people to think I don’t enjoy including this in part of the district,” Luria (D-VA 2) said ahead of the event at the Williamsburg Library. “Districts need to be compact, continuous and follow natural boundaries and this one and other ones in Virginia do none of those.”
On the peninsula, Luria said it doesn’t make much sense how she splits parts of cities with Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA 3.)
Redistricting was one of the key issues that have defined Virginia politics in the last year and a key motivator that led out-of-state groups to fund campaigns in this year’s state elections.
Tuesday’s election could help cement Democratic rule for the next decade because the winners will decide who controls the next redistricting process.
Lawmakers approved a proposed constitutional amendment this year that would create a new bipartisan commission empowered to draw legislative and congressional maps. Democrats have to sign off on it again next year before presenting it to voters.