In 2011, the Republicans got 60 percent of the vote in Virginia's Senate races, while the Democrats received only 40 percent. However, because the Democrats manipulated the district boundaries, they were able to hold exactly half the seats in the Senate.
Thankfully Republicans in Richmond had the courage to fix the gerrymandering the Democrats had done to thwart the voters. Democrats have been screaming foul because Republicans stood up for what was right. When drawing district lines, lawmakers are supposed to keep areas of common interest together.
For example, what does Lowes Island in Sterling have in common with Arlington? Democrats took a few thousand houses in Lowes Island and attached them to an Arlington district represented by Sen. Barbara Favola, a Democrat. It is gerrymandering like that, which the Democrats had hoped would go unnoticed or unchallenged, that erodes the integrity of our political process. I hope the House passes the corrected lines so that Democrats aren’t able to thwart the will of the voters in future elections.
JEFF BROWN
Leesburg, Va.
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
By Elaine Donnelly
Extending sexual misconduct to combat units
