Former Virginia Gov.
Glenn Youngkin is accusing Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger of orchestrating an "illegal and unconstitutional" gerrymander that would all but erase meaningful Republican representation in Congress.
According to Fox News, Virginians are set to vote on April 21 on Spanbergers redistricting referendum, a measure Youngkin warns would hand Democrats 10 of the states 11 congressional seats and cement one-party dominance in Washington. The clash comes as resurfaced remarks from Spanberger reveal a stark contrast between her past rhetoric and her current power play on redistricting.
Back in June 2019, Spanberger declared on X, formerly Twitter, that "Gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy and it weakens the individual voices that form our electorates. Opposing gerrymandering should be a bipartisan priority," a statement that now rings hollow to critics watching her push a map that would decimate GOP-held districts. Youngkin has branded her effort a "bait and switch," as localities across Virginia raise alarms over a proposal that could restructure nearly every Republican district in the state.
Currently, Republicans hold five congressional seats and Democrats hold six, a balance that roughly reflects Virginias political split. Under Spanbergers plan, critics argue, that balance would be obliterated, with new lines engineered to create five additional Democrat-leaning districts and to dilute the clout of rural voters in central and Western Virginia.
Fox News host Sean Hannity blasted the scheme as fundamentally unfair, saying it is "corrupt" for Democrats to control 10 of 11 seats in a state where President Donald Trump lost by only about six percentage points. Spanbergers office, however, has denied that any internal deals or partisan backroom arrangements were made to benefit Democratic candidates.
Youngkin, who championed pro-growth, pro-parent, and public safety reforms during his tenure, warned that the agenda he advanced is being systematically dismantled by Spanberger, Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi and Attorney General Jay Jones. "Its most frustrating for people in Virginia really frustrating for me because we had, I think, advanced the state to literally a nationally leading position across job creation and financial security and opportunity and safety and education, but now we see them trying to undo all of it," he told "Hang Out with Sean Hannity."
Spanberger is already paying a political price, with 46% of Virginians disapproving of her performance the worst rating at this stage for any Virginia governor in more than 30 years, according to a Post-Schar School poll. Mark Rozell, dean of George Mason Universitys Schar School and co-sponsor of the survey, called the numbers "unusual" so early in a term for a politician who campaigned on a "centrist image," raising questions about how far Virginians are willing to let her push partisan redistricting before they push back. Fox News Digital reached out to Spanbergers office for comment.
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