Democrats in the General Assembly talk a good game about redistricting, but I fear that a lot of them are going to change their tune once we’ve got a majority. So, with your help, I want to compile a list of Democrats’ positions on redistricting. For each one, I want to get them on the record as to whether they support partisan, bipartisan, or nonpartisan redistricting. If they start changing their tune — as they may well after Election Day — we’ll have them on record, so we can hold their feet to the fire.
What I need from you is to know where your legislator stands on this. Democrat, Republican or independent: anybody can play along. You can post a comment here or e-mail me.
This list will live at this permanent URL, though I include its current incarnation below.
| Name | Supports |
|---|---|
| Kenny Alexander | |
| Kris Amundson | bipartisan |
| Ward Armstrong | |
| Mamye BaCote | |
| Bill Barlow | |
| Danny Bowling | |
| Bob Brink | |
| David Bulova | |
| Chuck Caputo | |
| Rosalyn Dance | |
| Adam Ebbin | |
| Al Eisenberg | |
| David Englin | |
| Frank Hall | |
| Algie Howell | |
| Bob Hull | |
| Johnny Joannou | |
| Joseph Johnson | |
| Dwight Jones | |
| Lynwood Lewis | |
| Dave Marsden | |
| Jennifer McClellan | |
| Don McEachin | |
| Ken Melvin | |
| Paula Miller | |
| Brian Moran | bipartisan |
| Bud Phillips | |
| Ken Plum | |
| David Poisson | |
| Jim Scott | |
| Steve Shannon | |
| Jim Shuler | bipartisan, nonpartisan |
| Mark Sickles | |
| Lionell Spruill | |
| David Toscano | |
| Roslyn Tyler | |
| Shannon Valentine | |
| Jeion Ward | |
| Onzlee Ware | |
| Vivian Watts |
| Name | Supports |
|---|---|
| Chuck Colgan | bipartisan 1 |
| Creigh Deeds | bipartisan |
| John Edwards | bipartisan 1 |
| Mark Herring | bipartisan 1 |
| Edd Houck | bipartisan 1 |
| Janet Howell | bipartisan 1 |
| Benny Lambert | bipartisan 1 |
| Mamie Locke | bipartisan 1 |
| Louise Lucas | bipartisan 1 |
| Henry Marsh | bipartisan 1 |
| Yvonne Miller | bipartisan 1 |
| Phil Puckett | bipartisan 1 |
| Toddy Puller | bipartisan 1 |
| Roscoe Reynolds | bipartisan 1 |
| Dick Saslaw | bipartisan 1 |
| Patsy Ticer | bipartisan 1 |
| Mary Margaret Whipple | bipartisan 1 |
1. Based on SJ352 floor vote, so this senator may also support nonpartisan redistricting.
Has anyone heard about Danny Marshall making Bill Howell look like a fool in Danville in Martinsville. Howell was talking about all these current and past elected officials who back Marshall for re-election. One problem two said they don’t support Danny and he never asked for their permission. He just assumed. Should the Marshall Committe pay for the dry cleaning bill to get the egg off the Speaker’s Face?
Waldo,
Great, I love it. But didn’t Moran help kill Creigh’s nonpartisan redistricting plan last year?
I might be misinformed on that.
Based on their answers to the Virginian Pilot, Paula Miller supports nonpartisan redistricting. Of course, you’ll have to update that roster once we add a few more Democrats in November :)
Good idea, Waldo. We have to hold their feet to the fire on this one.
Thanks, Vivian — I’ve updated the list. (I’m not going to update the list in this blog entry as we go — I’ll leave it static.)
Jon – No, Brian definitely did NOT help kill Creigh’s bill (he’s not on the P&E committee, for one thing). He has introduced a slightly different version of the legislation several times. You can see that in Privileges & Elections, it was killed on a voice vote here http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?071+sum+SJ352
I know that Bob Brink, David Englin, and Mark Sickles, who ARE on that committee, voted with Creigh. But of course it was not a recorded vote.
Also, I intend to introduce my version of the bill again this year. When, I am hoping . . .
Sen. Deed’s bill went through the Senate and was placed in the P & E Committee where it was tabled.
Del. Moran does not serve on the House P&E Committee. Therefore, he couldn’t have had any involvement.
Delegates Moran, Shuler, Armstrong, Brink, Barlow, Valentine, Amundson, Plum, Caputo, Ebbin, Scott, BaCote, Sickles, Waddell (I), Tascano, Bulova, and Senators Ticer and Howell all introduced or signed on as co-patrons to legislation involving redistricting. They all suffered the same fate: Passed by indefinetely in P&E by voice vote.
For his credit, Del. Chris Peace did introduce legislation to form a group to study the impact of partisan redistricting. That was also killed.
Thanks for the info . . . don’t know how I got that impression.
Waldo — Virginia21 has asked a question about redistricting reform on their candidate questionnaire each cycle. I don’t think its on their website anymore, but I know that Kelly over there has the info if you drop them a line.
-Dave