Feb. 16, 2026 Editor, The News-Gazette:
On April 21, Virginia voters will decide on a state constitutional amendment to redraw our eleven Congressional districts. While proponents argue this is a necessary response to Republican gerrymandering in other states, we must not “win at any cost” by sacrificing the integrity of our own democracy.
Representative democracy only thrives when voters have viable choices and elected officials are truly accountable to communities of shared interests. That doesn’t happen when Arlington voters share a district with those in Swoope.
My career in campaign finance taught me that systems collapse when political professionals prioritize power over the rules. The claim that these changes are “temporary” lacks credibility; once legislators gain this level of control, they rarely relinquish it.
We save our democracy by running strong candidates with the power of better ideas — not by manipulating district lines. Virginia now has districts with among the lowest partisan bias in the nation. Democratic leaders do talented candidates no favors by pursuing total domination through redistricting. To protect the core values of a representative democracy, I will be voting no on April 21. BOB BIERSACK Kerrs Creek
