by Tim Hoffman

Last Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld the rule of law and struck down the Democrats’ redistricting amendment as unconstitutional. The court wrote, “We hold that the legislative process employed to advance this proposal violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia. This constitutional violation incurably taints the resulting referendum vote and nullifies its legal efficacy.”

The Democrat-backed Virginians for Fair Elections spent more than $64 million on the referendum, with $40 million coming from Hakeem Jeffries’ House Majority Forward PAC. Altogether, supporters and opponents spent more than $83 million, with most of the money backing the measure.

Those totals do not include the roughly $5 million dollars Virginia’s 133 registrars spent to run the election or the thousands of dollars each District and county political committee spent. In light of the court’s ruling, these expenditures mark a profligate – and avoidable – waste of money on an unconstitutional effort. At a minimum, this massive spending effort will reduce resources available for Democrat candidates this fall. This is in contrast to the National Republican Committee’s full coffers.

Further, this effort has backfired spectacularly on them. It has galvanized Republican voters across the state, particularly in rural Virginia, after seeing what happens when they do not vote. This special election has exposed the current Democrat administration for what it is. Republican voters are now paying close attention and do not like what they see. Increased Republican engagement carried over to the fall does not bode well for Democrats hoping to gain House seats in Virginia.

This referendum has also intensified a broader national fight over redistricting. In response, at least seven Republican-leaning states are pursuing or considering their own redistricting efforts. As a result, Republicans could gain 10 to 12 seats in a mid-term election that typically favors the party out of power.

It now appears that U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other national Democrats are urging Virginia’s Democrats either to lower the mandatory retirement age for Virginia Supreme Court judges from 73 to 53 or to replace the court with judges they prefer. This response raises troubling questions about respect for judicial independence and the integrity of Virginia’s Supreme Court. Moreover, it would set a precedent that could boomerang on them. Governor Spanberger can ill-afford another political debacle.

Even if the Democrats attempted this ill-conceived effort, they are out of time. Virginia’s Department of Elections has said that 12 May is the point of no return for the Fall election. After that date, district maps cannot be changed without risking significant administrative problems caused by a rushed redistricting process.

None of the foregoing reflects well on Governor Spanberger or the Democrat-led Virginia Legislature. To say the least, Governor Spanberger is off to a poor start. By pandering to the most radical elements of her legislature and party, she has squandered whatever political capital she brought into office. Virginians recognize a bait and switch when they see one.  She should change course and govern the way she campaigned: as a moderate.

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