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The shake-up

Jeremy M. Lazarus | 12/16/2021, 6 p.m.
Here is how the Virginia Supreme Court’s new redistricting maps would shake out for Richmond and the Virginia Legislative Black ...
Virginia State Capitol

Here is how the Virginia Supreme Court’s new redistricting maps would shake out for Richmond and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.

In the city, three Democratic House members would be placed in a redrawn 78th House District that would cover the western half of the city: Jeffrey M. Bourne, 70th District; Betsy B. Carr, 69th District; and Dawn M. Adams, 68th District.

Delegate Delores L. McQuinn, 70th District, would be in a new 79th District that would be entirely in Richmond, stretching in a semicircle from the city’s southern border through Church Hill and Fulton and up to Washington Park in North Side.

The city’s delegation would include the winner of a new 77th House District, which would include a big chunk of South Side and part of Chesterfield County.

In the Senate map, Richmond is carved into two new districts, the 14th and 15th. The 14th covers most of the city and incorporates the 9th District, which is currently represented by Democratic Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan. The 15th District includes a portion of South Side but is mostly in Chesterfield County.

The 16th District that Sen. Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey represents would become the 13th Senate District. That new district would bypass Richmond in stretching from Sussex County to Henrico County and include Hopewell and Petersburg.

Richmond Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, 10th District, a Democrat, would lose her city precincts and be drawn into a new 12th District with Chesterfield Sen. Amanda Chase, a Republican who now represents the 11th District. That district would be wholly in the county and include Colonial Heights.

The VLBC faces the potential for major shrinkage, with six members of the House and one member of the Senate at risk.

For example, caucus chairman, Henrico Delegate Lamont Bagby, 74th District, a Democrat, would be drawn into a new 80th District with Democratic Delegate Schuyler Van Valk- enberg, 72nd District.

Also at risk in the Richmond area is Delegate Bourne.

In Prince William County, incoming caucus member Briana Sewell, who just won her first election, would be moved into a new 25th House District. So will veteran caucus member Delegate Luke Torian, the outgoing chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

In Hampton Roads, Delegate-elect Nadarius Clark, 26, will become the youngest member ever of the House in January after winning his first election. But in the new map, he would be moved into a new 88th House District with current caucus member Don Scott.

Also in Hampton Roads, caucus members Del. Jeion Ward and Del. Cliff Hayes would be moved into districts with incumbent Republican delegates.

In the Senate, the caucus could lose one of its four senators. The proposed map puts caucus members Sen. L. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth and Sen. Lionell Spruill of Chesapeake into the new 18th Senate District

Democrats also are at risk of losing senior leaders, most notably the current majority leader, Sen. Richard Saslaw, 81, who has served 41 years, and Sen. Janet Howell, 77, a 30-year Senate veteran. The proposed maps would put each into a Northern Virginia district with another incumbent Democrat.