The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion The redistricting commission was always a bad idea

November 18, 2021 at 4:52 p.m. EST
The Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 20.
The Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on Jan. 20. (Julia Rendleman/For The Washington Post)
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The Nov. 10 editorial “Gaming the redistricting system” rightly said that Virginia’s redistricting commission has been undermined by Republican partisanship. But where was the editorial board when the amendment creating the commission was being considered by the legislature?

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Answer: It was scolding the Democrats who resisted the hopelessly flawed amendment, rather than the Republicans who baked its flaws in when they were in power [“Hypocrisy or principle?,” editorial, Feb. 8, 2020]. The Post editorial board bears some small part of the responsibility for this mess.

Rachel Gatwood, Reston

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