Remap plans show partisan preferences

A new Democratic-leaning state Senate district would be created in the Richmond area and four Republican senators would be combined into two districts, according to a redistricting bill that the Senate Democratic majority proposed Tuesday.

The Republican majority in the House of Delegates, in turn, proposed to eliminate the district represented by the House Democratic leader, Del. Ward L. Armstrong of Henry County.

The General Assembly will return to Richmond on Monday for a special redistricting session that is expected to last several days. Lawmakers redraw district boundaries each 10 years to reflect population changes in the census.

In November, all 40 state Senate seats and all 100 House of Delegates seats will be up for election in newly configured districts. Democrats hold a 22-18 edge in the Senate. In the House, Republicans hold 59 seats, Democrats 39. Two conservative independents often vote with the Republicans.

Under the House Republicans' plan, Armstrong's 10th District would be moved to Northern Virginia. As a result, he would live in a district represented by Del. Donald W. Merricks, R-Pittsylvania.

A Hampton Roads district represented by Del. Paula Miller, D-Norfolk, would be moved to Loudoun and Prince William counties. As a result, Miller would live in a district represented by Democrat Lynwood W. Lewis Jr., D-Accomack.

A Southwest Virginia district represented by Del. Clarence E. Phillips, D-Dickenson, a 22-year veteran, would be moved to Clarke, Frederick and Loudoun counties. Phillips would live in a district represented by Del. Joseph P. Johnson Jr., D-Washington County.

The Republican plan also puts Del. Robin A. Abbott, D-Newport News, in a district represented by Del. G. Glenn Oder, a veteran Republican who also represents Newport News.

Republican Dels. Clifford L. Athey Jr., R-Warren, and Beverly J. Sherwood, R-Frederick, would be placed in the same district, but Athey is retiring.

The Senate Democrats' plan would put two Republicans from Virginia Beach, Sens. Frank W. Wagner and Jeff McWaters, in the same district. Wagner has said he might move to an adjoining district, where he has a business, and run against Sen. John C. Miller, D-Newport News.

The Democratic senators' plan also would place Republican Sens. Stephen D. Newman of Lynchburg and Ralph K. Smith of Botetourt County in the same district.

The Senate Democrats' plan would create a new Democratic-leaning Senate district that would run vertically from the northern part of Chesterfield County, through central Richmond and into northern Henrico County.

Democrat Tom J. Shields, director of the Center for Leadership in Education at the University of Richmond, said Tuesday that if the district is created, he will run for it. In 2009, Shields lost a House of Delegates race to Del. John M. O'Bannon III, R-Henrico.

Shields issued a statement that he is an advocate of nonpartisan redistricting, but he applauded the new proposed district in the Richmond metropolitan area.

The proposed redistricting maps must go through a number of steps to become law. They must be approved by each body's Privileges and Elections Committees, then the full House and Senate before going to Gov. Bob McDonnell, who can veto or propose amendments to the plans.

In drawing the new lines, the legislators also must take into consideration the federal Voting Rights Act, which requires black-majority districts to be drawn when feasible.

While gerrymandering clearly played a role in the proposed new districts, some of the changes were dictated by population shifts, particularly from Southside, Southwest Virginia and Hampton Roads to Northern Virginia.

Democrats reacted mildly to the House Republicans' plan, saying they need more time to study it. But Armstrong attacked the GOP-authored plan, saying it splits too many communities.

Senate Democrats called their plan fair and nonpartisan. They said 28 of the proposed districts were carried in 2009 by McDonnell, a Republican, and 23 were carried four years earlier by Democrat Timothy M. Kaine.

But Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, the Senate minority leader, said the Senate plan "will go down as one of the most notorious examples of gerrymandering in history."

A plan to redraw the 11 congressional districts might not be introduced until after the assembly districts are drawn up, said Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, D-Arlington.

twhitley@timesdispatch.com

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