Feb. 16, 2026 Editor, The News-Gazette:
Your Feb. 11 editorial argues strongly against the proposed redistricting referendum that will be brought to voters on April 21 (early voting beginning March 6). I support redistricting, and believe that the editorial incorrectly describes the reason that redistricting in Virginia is justified, and places the editorial in a misleading context.
The editorial states, “Proponents of this plan say that this is necessary to offset the cynical politics of Republicans.”
This is a massive understatement of the situation many of us in the Democratic base perceive is afflicting our national leadership. Redistricting in Virginia and other Democratic-led states is needed because President Trump and his MAGA cronies are engaging in increasingly authoritarian behavior that undermines the U.S. Constitution and the fabric of our democracy far more than partisan gerrymandering does.
President Trump has called explicitly for federalizing this fall’s midterm elections under Republican leadership - an act that would be explicitly unconstitutional.
In light of such threats from a president who seems to believe that the Constitution does not apply to him, Democratic leaders in Virginia and other states are taking lawful actions to retain or return some semblance of a political power balance. That is both reasonable and justified.
Furthermore, the editorial argues that the redistricting process approved five years ago ought to be maintained. That redistricting process reflected extraordinary effort by many people on both sides of the aisle. It also, as the editorial acknowledges, resulted in a deadlock the one time it was implemented.
My argument is not that the process is flawed, however; it is that changes to national governance over the past year – changes reflected in President Trump’s authoritarian words and deeds – are enough to warrant reconsideration of the context in which redistricting occurs. The current redistricting effort is forwardlooking - a necessary strategy before authoritarianism wins the day. RICHARDWALLACE Lexington
