The credentialed gentry in Richmond just decided that “fairness” is a legacy concept, much like landlines or Kamala Harris’s political career. On Tuesday, Virginia Democrats shoved through a redistricting plan that turns one of the most balanced states in the Union into a partisan fever dream. They aren’t even pretending anymore; they’re carving up the Commonwealth like a Thanksgiving turkey to ensure that the people who actually work for a living never have a say in their own government again.
The Gerrymander Grift
Remember, Virginia only backed the former resident of the Naval Observatory over Donald Trump by a measly five points in 2024. This is a battleground state, not some leftist utopia like Vermont or the ruins of San Francisco. But under this new map, nearly half the voters are effectively disenfranchised.
The Democrats’ new lines snake out from the soul-crushing, heavily blue suburbs and dive deep into rural territory, diluting the votes of normal Americans with the preferences of the Bethesda brunch crowd. The endgame is as transparent as a glass of cheap Chardonnay: stack Congress against President Trump and prepare the ground for yet another sham impeachment over absolutely nothing. They play for keeps, and they play dirty, while the GOP has spent years bringing a polite “please stop” to a knife fight.
Giving the Democrats Exactly What They Asked For
But there’s a new move on the board, and it’s a masterpiece of “re-Districting” that would make the architects of this gerrymander weep into their kale salads. Chad R. Mizelle—a guy who actually knows his way around the Department of Justice and the White House—has floated a plan that could nuke this map from orbit.
It goes back to 1790, when Virginia gave up land—specifically what is now Arlington and Alexandria—to create the national capital. In 1847, Congress gave it back to Virginia for one reason: to protect the institution of slavery. The Democrats spent the last few years tearing down every statue in sight and renaming everything that didn’t move to “atone” for the past. Fine. Let’s be consistent. Let’s return that land to the District of Columbia.
The Constitutional Correction
The legal reality is that the “retrocession” of 1847 has always been on shaky ground. Figures like William Howard Taft argued it was unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court never stuck the landing on a final decision.
President Trump could end the ambiguity with a single executive order declaring that a move motivated by the preservation of slavery is unconstitutional. This wouldn’t just be a tweet; it would be a legal cruise missile. It would immediately force the federal courts to decide once and for all: do Arlington and Alexandria legally belong to Virginia or the District?
Restoring the Voice of the People
The beauty of this move is its absolute symmetry. Arlington and Alexandria are basically colonies of the federal bureaucracy anyway. The people living there are federal employees and D.C. lifers whose hearts—and bank accounts—already belong to the capital. They’d feel right at home being officially part of the District.
More importantly, removing those deep-blue enclaves from Virginia’s congressional map would instantly restore the partisan balance for the rest of the Commonwealth. It would stop the rural and small-town voters from being drowned out by the very people who despise them. This isn’t a power grab; it’s a historical and judicial correction of a tainted decision.
The era of the GOP playing by the Marquess of Queensberry rules while the Left uses brass knuckles is over. It’s time to stop complaining about their dirty maps and start redrawing the reality of the board. Do it, Mr. President. Send Arlington back to D.C. and let Virginia be Virginia again.