Jonathan Scott
Guest Contributor
Is it any wonder many counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia are frustrated with the level of representation in Richmond?
Are Virginians represented equally in Richmond in the Virginia General Assembly today as they have been throughout Virginia history? Given the increasing Virginia population, what is a good ratio of official to constituent for the purposes of representation?
Would not amending the Virginia Constitution and increasing the number of Delegates and Senators provide for greater representation?
The time has come to address the rising population of the Commonwealth and stop disenfranchising the vote in truth by limiting the number of officials sitting in the General Assembly.
The Assembly will send an amendment referedum to the Virginia Constitution regarding redistricting but what it really should be doing to addressing the Articles that determine how many seats there can be in the Assembly in the first place.
By increasing the number of districts to be represented in the Assembly, the ratio of the number of Virginians represented per official would be lowered thus providing greater representation to the population.
A big issue facing Virginia today is a dominance by one single Virginia region in terms of representation in large part due to the population density of Northern Virginia which has just recently provided dominating control of the Legislature by one Party over that of another due its control over that region politically.
Fairfax County, Virginia for example has a population of 1.1 million. Fairfax has three different Democrat Congressional Representatives with precincts within the county and (9) State Senators and (17) State Delegates representing constituents in the General Assembly residing in the County.
The General Assembly has 100 Delegates and 40 Senators as determined by the State Constitution. This translates to a political reality that Fairfax County influence controls 17% of the House of Delegates and 22% of the Senate.
Not a single seat held in the Virginia Assembly from Fairfax is a Republican official. Every Assembly seat including the Speaker of the House of Delegates position and three Congressional Districts are held by Democrats. In essence 1,1 million Virginians dominate the political influence over a Commonwealth with 8.5 million in terms of seats, influence and power.
In fact, Fairfax is so partisan that in 2019 (6) races for the State Senate did not even have a Republican or Independent on the ballot. In 2015 there were (2) such races with no Republican or Independent.
In effect, Fairfax controls (9) Senate votes. Are there Republicans and Independents residing in Fairfax County? Sure. However, the way the districts are configured you would not know it. For example District 39 had 20,757 Republican voters and both District 32 and 33 both had about 18,000 but the manner in which the precincts and district has been drawn it hardly provides for real representation.
In fact, examine the fact that in District 36 Democrat Scott Surovell won with 37, 518 votes yet Republican incumbent Glen Sturtevant in District 10 comprising Richmond and portions of Chesterfield and Powhatan earned 37,737 and lost. Over 80,000 votes were cast in the 10th District.
Only 37,518 votes were cast in the 36th District for the Virginia Senate. That compared with over 80,000 voters casting ballots in District 10, 11 and 12 all including the suburbs of Richmond.
This fact alone demonstrates the fault that exists in the current district allocations and how they are drawn. Instead of drawing these districts is such a manner to benefit those actually drawing them would it not make more sense long term to amend the State Constitution and add seats.
While adding seats could certainly address better representation in Richmond, it is also important to address the size of districts and the number of voters casting ballots so Virginia is not left with such disparity as illustrated by District 36 and Districts 10, 11, and 12.
Did the Virginians who enacted the Virginia Constitution on June 29, 1776 ever envision such a development. By 1790 Virginia had a population of 747,610 amassing even greater geographical territory then given it was not until the Wheeling Convention of 1861 that the western areas of Virginia broke and sought the formation of present day West Virginia. Even back then the Assembly would be comprised of the same number of Assembly officials as today.
Virginia population 1900 was 1.85 million and had 100 Delegates and 40 Senators in the Virginia General Assembly. Virginia's population in 2019 was 8.54 million and it appears to continue the trend of growth moving forward and yet today's session in Richmond has the same number of Delegates and Senators as it did in 1900.
While Virginia may have been more unified culturally in 1900 than today it is critical to consider just how different today the various regions of the Commonwealth are in truth. One such debate today is over gun control. A majority of counties throughout the Commonwealth have enacted 2A Gun Sanctuary Resolutions top protect citizens against the extreme legislation being enacted by Virginia Democrats in Richmond.
Having so many seats in the Assembly from the populous Northern Virginia certainly aligns with the Constitution but as population grows all that will happen is Virginia will have districts with more and more citizens. The State Constitution constrains the Assembly ability do nothing more than re draw and re draw district lines regardless of the population growth Virginia experiences.
It is clear the solution is to amend the State Constitution and increase representation. This is not something the political establishment will do however without the people demanding it. Citizens will have demand equal representation just as Virginians did during the Revolutionary period of Virginia history. Politicians will not surrender the power that the current system creates, especially those politicians in the Progressive region of Northern Virginia.
So what is the biggest issue to reaching equality of representation?
Are Virginians represented equally in Richmond in the Virginia General Assembly today as they have been throughout Virginia history? Given the increasing Virginia population, what is a good ratio of official to constituent for the purposes of representation?
Would not amending the Virginia Constitution and increasing the number of Delegates and Senators provide for greater representation?
The time has come to address the rising population of the Commonwealth and stop disenfranchising the vote in truth by limiting the number of officials sitting in the General Assembly.
The Assembly will send an amendment referedum to the Virginia Constitution regarding redistricting but what it really should be doing to addressing the Articles that determine how many seats there can be in the Assembly in the first place.
By increasing the number of districts to be represented in the Assembly, the ratio of the number of Virginians represented per official would be lowered thus providing greater representation to the population.
A big issue facing Virginia today is a dominance by one single Virginia region in terms of representation in large part due to the population density of Northern Virginia which has just recently provided dominating control of the Legislature by one Party over that of another due its control over that region politically.
Fairfax County, Virginia for example has a population of 1.1 million. Fairfax has three different Democrat Congressional Representatives with precincts within the county and (9) State Senators and (17) State Delegates representing constituents in the General Assembly residing in the County.
The General Assembly has 100 Delegates and 40 Senators as determined by the State Constitution. This translates to a political reality that Fairfax County influence controls 17% of the House of Delegates and 22% of the Senate.
Not a single seat held in the Virginia Assembly from Fairfax is a Republican official. Every Assembly seat including the Speaker of the House of Delegates position and three Congressional Districts are held by Democrats. In essence 1,1 million Virginians dominate the political influence over a Commonwealth with 8.5 million in terms of seats, influence and power.
In fact, Fairfax is so partisan that in 2019 (6) races for the State Senate did not even have a Republican or Independent on the ballot. In 2015 there were (2) such races with no Republican or Independent.
In effect, Fairfax controls (9) Senate votes. Are there Republicans and Independents residing in Fairfax County? Sure. However, the way the districts are configured you would not know it. For example District 39 had 20,757 Republican voters and both District 32 and 33 both had about 18,000 but the manner in which the precincts and district has been drawn it hardly provides for real representation.
In fact, examine the fact that in District 36 Democrat Scott Surovell won with 37, 518 votes yet Republican incumbent Glen Sturtevant in District 10 comprising Richmond and portions of Chesterfield and Powhatan earned 37,737 and lost. Over 80,000 votes were cast in the 10th District.
Only 37,518 votes were cast in the 36th District for the Virginia Senate. That compared with over 80,000 voters casting ballots in District 10, 11 and 12 all including the suburbs of Richmond.
This fact alone demonstrates the fault that exists in the current district allocations and how they are drawn. Instead of drawing these districts is such a manner to benefit those actually drawing them would it not make more sense long term to amend the State Constitution and add seats.
While adding seats could certainly address better representation in Richmond, it is also important to address the size of districts and the number of voters casting ballots so Virginia is not left with such disparity as illustrated by District 36 and Districts 10, 11, and 12.
Did the Virginians who enacted the Virginia Constitution on June 29, 1776 ever envision such a development. By 1790 Virginia had a population of 747,610 amassing even greater geographical territory then given it was not until the Wheeling Convention of 1861 that the western areas of Virginia broke and sought the formation of present day West Virginia. Even back then the Assembly would be comprised of the same number of Assembly officials as today.
Virginia population 1900 was 1.85 million and had 100 Delegates and 40 Senators in the Virginia General Assembly. Virginia's population in 2019 was 8.54 million and it appears to continue the trend of growth moving forward and yet today's session in Richmond has the same number of Delegates and Senators as it did in 1900.
While Virginia may have been more unified culturally in 1900 than today it is critical to consider just how different today the various regions of the Commonwealth are in truth. One such debate today is over gun control. A majority of counties throughout the Commonwealth have enacted 2A Gun Sanctuary Resolutions top protect citizens against the extreme legislation being enacted by Virginia Democrats in Richmond.
Having so many seats in the Assembly from the populous Northern Virginia certainly aligns with the Constitution but as population grows all that will happen is Virginia will have districts with more and more citizens. The State Constitution constrains the Assembly ability do nothing more than re draw and re draw district lines regardless of the population growth Virginia experiences.
It is clear the solution is to amend the State Constitution and increase representation. This is not something the political establishment will do however without the people demanding it. Citizens will have demand equal representation just as Virginians did during the Revolutionary period of Virginia history. Politicians will not surrender the power that the current system creates, especially those politicians in the Progressive region of Northern Virginia.
So what is the biggest issue to reaching equality of representation?
Understand that are Maryland justa cross the Potomac has less population than Virginia yet has more State Senators and Delegates representing its citizens than Virginia. Maryland has 6 million citizens and 47 State Senators for example. Delaware has less than one million people yet has 21 State Senators. Virginia is approaching 9 million citizens and has just 40 State Senators.
The State Constitution of Virginia determines the exact number of seats in the General Assembly.
State Constitution of Virginia Article IV Sections 2 and 3:
The State Constitution of Virginia determines the exact number of seats in the General Assembly.
State Constitution of Virginia Article IV Sections 2 and 3:
Section 2. Senate.
The Senate shall consist of not more than forty and not less than thirty-three members, who shall be elected quadrennially by the voters of the several senatorial districts on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November.
Section 3. House of Delegates.
The House of Delegates shall consist of not more than one hundred and not less than ninety members, who shall be elected biennially by the voters of the several house districts on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November
These sections of the State Constitution are what should be revised and amended. The number should be increased to reflect more representation with seats having a maximum population density that each official shall serve.
Should the Assembly in Richmond not address the disparity that exists it will not be able to prevent some counties from considering offers made by West Virginia to join that state and leave the Commonwealth.
The sizes of various districts vary in terms of population and voting participants.
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