Richmond region split more on redistricting than governor's race
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Across the Richmond region, more voting precincts were divided on the redistricting measure than on last year's governor's race.
Why it matters: Some of the same precincts split on redistricting are also being split in the new congressional map.
The big picture: Republican-leaning Hanover was the only one of the region's four largest localities (alongside Chesterfield, Henrico and Richmond) that voted against the mid-decade redraw of Virginia's congressional maps, per the Virginia Public Access Project.
- Under the new map favoring Democrats by a 10-1 margin, Hanover will be swept into a district that stretches into the heavily Democratic Prince William County.
- Across all four localities, more precincts backed Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger than supported the redistricting measure, according to an Axios review of election results.
Reality check: While more than 3 million Virginians voted in the referendum, turnout was lower than the 3.4 million who voted in November.
Zoom in: In Richmond, Spanberger won every precinct. But four precincts in the near West End rejected the amendment.
- They include Windsor Farms, where nearly 70% voted "no," and the Westhampton area.
The intrigue: The gap widened in the suburbs. In Spanberger's home county of Henrico, nearly all of its 90 precincts voted for her. But only 66 supported the amendment.
- Many of the precincts that backed former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2021 also voted "no" on redistricting.
- Within Chesterfield, 61 of 78 precincts backed Spanberger, compared with the 39 that voted "yes" on redistricting.
- And in Hanover, Spanberger won four of 36 precincts. But only one supported the amendment — and even that precinct was a close 51-49 split.