Democrats get their just due in Virginia redistricting

OPINION:

The top court in Virginia ruled 4-3 that Democrats broke state law by shoving through a redistricting that gave their party a clear advantage come voting time — which would have stripped all but one congressional seat from safe Republican control.

Let the left’s gnashing of teeth begin.

“In Huge Blow to Democrats, Virginia Court Strikes Down House Map,” The New York Times reported.

Now Democrats will have to find another way to cheat, err, campaign and win this November. They’ve certainly taken the tried-and-true “Trump Sucks” narrative as far as it can go, and without gerrymandering — and with borders closed — the Democrats’ last chance for electoral survival, never mind win, seems to be, gasp, Platforms. They’ll have to actually choke out some ideas upon which to campaign.

Oh, for the good ol’ days of Russia collusion.

“The court ruled 4-3 that the state’s Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize mid-decade redistricting. Voters narrowly approved the amendment on April 21, but the court’s ruling renders the voters’ result meaningless,” The Associated Press wrote.

Justice Arthur Kelsey, writing for the majority, put it succinctly. First, he said the way the legislature submitted the proposed amendment to voters was done “in an unprecedented manner” — that is, Democrats skirted state law by rushing the referendum to a vote and bypassing the requirement to have it first approved by two consecutive legislatures.

Then he wrote, “This violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void.”

Null and void. Another way Democrats could look at that: Total Waste Of Money.

“Dark Money Dominates Fund-Raising in the Virginia Referendum Vote,” The New York Times wrote in late April.

And not just dark money. Big money — to the tune of nearly $100 million, most of which came from Virginians for Fair Elections, plus from House Majority Forward (aligned with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries), according to New York Times reporting.

“Dark money has flowed into the [Virginia redistricting] campaign at an astounding rate: Of the $98 million raised by the three groups that have bought the most advertising in the race, at least 96 percent has come from nonprofit groups that do not disclose their donors,” The New York Times wrote.

So not only did Democrats lose their desperate redistricting bid.

Not only did Democrats lose their gerrymandered attempt to grab four House seats from Republicans.

But Democrats also lost lots and lots and lots of money.

In a state with a newly seated Democrat governor who can’t wait to tax gym memberships, dog walkers and dry cleaning, for which her popularity has fallen accordingly, this court redistricting ruling is a much-needed win for conservatives, for MAGAs, for Americans who still care about such things as constitutional and such matters as lawful — for anyone but Democrats who now have to do the hard task of trying to win elections based on principles.

In a state with a newly seated Democrat governor who can’t wait to tax gym memberships, dog walkers and dry cleaning, for which her popularity has fallen accordingly, this court redistricting ruling is a much-needed win for conservatives, for MAGAs, for Americans who still care about such things as constitutional and such matters as lawful — for anyone but Democrats who now have to do the hard task of trying to win elections based on principles.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.