Pastor and City Councilman Michael J. Jones will try again for a seat in the House of Delegates.

Dr. Jones has filed to run in the 77th District, which includes a major chunk of South Richmond and part of Chesterfield County, including Bon Air.

“I’m thrilled at the prospect of serving in the newly drawn 77th House District,” which includes “parts of South Side that I currently represent on City Council,” Dr. Jones said.

“During my time on council, I have a proven record of advocacy for all residents, and I look forward to continuing this work in the General Assembly.”

Dr. Jones sought to challenge Richmond Delegate Betsy B. Carr in the 2021 Democratic primary, but a failure to file sufficient signatures by the deadline ended his bid.

Under the redrawn House district maps approved by the Virginia Supreme Court in December, no incumbent now lives in the new 77th District, opening the door for Dr. Jones.

The maps were redrawn based on changes in population in the 2020 Census.

The Virginia Public Access Project lists the 77th District as strongly Democratic given that 70 percent of voters in the district cast ballots for President Biden in 2020.

Delegate Carr, who has announced plans to seek re-election, now lives in the 78th District, as do two Democratic incumbents, Delegate Dawn M. Adams and Delegate Jeffrey M. Bourne. When the new House of Delegates elections will be held is still up in the air. The normal timeframe would be in November 2023. But Paul Goldman, a former chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party, has filed suit in federal court to force elections this year in the newly redrawn districts, citing the fact that none of the current members of the General Assembly represent legitimate districts after the state Supreme Court approved an overhaul that changed the district boundaries and numbering.

Mr. Goldman also cited the state and federal constitutional requirements for new elections once new census data is available and new maps are created.

He also has argued that the population changes in the old districts has created a 78 percent disparity between the most populous and least populous districts that is unconstitutional on its face. The U.S. Supreme Court, in past precedents, has limited disparity between the least and most populous districts to 10 percent, Mr. Goldman has noted.

Both former Democratic Attorney Gen. Mark R. Herring and current Republican Attorney Gen. Jason S. Miyares have sought to have Mr. Goldman’s lawsuit thrown out. Both argue that current House members were elected in 2021 for two-year terms and should be able to serve them out, notwithstanding that new districts have been approved and are in place.

Federal judges are now considering the issues that have been raised.