Arlington’s two main political parties are driving opposing messages as early voting on Virginia’s congressional redistricting referendum began this morning (Friday).
The Arlington County Democratic Committee’s rank and file voted to support the redrawing of the commonwealth’s 11 congressional districts at a Wednesday meeting.
“Everything we have in this committee has to be going into this,” Chair Paul Ruiz said, calling the initiative an attempt to “protect democracy.”
His comments came as early voting in the April 21 referendum was approaching. Voting in Arlington started this morning at 9 a.m.
On the other side of the political aisle, Arlington County Republican Committee chair Matthew Hurtt was working to rally his troops in advance of early voting.
“I will be one of the first NO votes cast in Arlington,” Hurtt said in an email to party members yesterday (Thursday).
Hurtt said the redistricting effort, adopted by Democratic majorities in the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), represented an effort to “radically gerrymander Virginia’s congressional districts.”
The local GOP voted in February to oppose the redistricting effort.
If the referendum passes, and if the Virginia Supreme Court does not rule the measure unconstitutional, Arlington would be split into two congressional districts.
The southern 40% of the county would remain in the redrawn 8th District, while the remainder of Arlington would shift into the redrawn 7th District.
The proposed new 7th District would extend west and south, running to the West Virginia line and west of Richmond. The new 8th District would include the southernmost portion of Arlington and the city of Alexandria, then run south toward the Williamsburg area.
On March 5, Democratic campaign signage in support of the referendum began sprouting on medians across the county. The party leadership has committed $13,000 to its pro-referendum efforts, aiming to achieve 300,000 voter contacts before April 21.
“We’re already spending money,” said the party’s finance chair, Austin Locke.
The Arlington GOP’s “Vote No” campaign will be led by Richard Samp and Eric Turner. It “is working closely with the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) to identify and mobilize voters ahead of the referendum,” Hurtt said.
Both parties are planning to knock on doors and undertake other efforts to contact voters over the next five weeks.
The redistricting question will be the only item on the ballot for the referendum. The ballot question in its entirety reads:
“Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?”
At a February meeting of the Arlington Electoral Board, members and election staff said a large turnout was possible throughout the election period. But because there is just a single item on the ballot, delays are not anticipated either during early voting or on Election Day.
Among key dates for this election:
- The last day to apply for a mail ballot is April 10 at 5 p.m.
- The last day to register to vote in advance of the election, or update existing registration, is April 14, with same-day registration available after that
- Early in-person voting runs through April 18
- On Election Day (April 21), all 54 Arlington precincts will be open from 6 a.m.-7 p.m., with voters required to cast ballots at their assigned precincts
- The last day to drop off a mail ballot in a county election dropbox is April 21 at 7 p.m.
- Mail ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before April 21 and received by April 24 at noon to be counted
Despite a 2025 gubernatorial election in which Virginia Republicans were trounced locally and statewide, Hurtt voiced optimism that state party leadership would be able to get its messaging out.
“I am confident RPV is doing everything it can with the resources it has to mobilize opposition to the far left’s gerrymandering campaign,” he said.
Democratic chair Ruiz said his local party would lead the way in ramping up a “yes” vote statewide.
“We are door-knocking, we are phone-calling, we are texting, we have yard signs,” he said of outreach efforts.
