OP-ED: Jewish Virginians Should Vote YES on Redistricting
Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 21, is the Virginia referendum election where voters will decide whether to accept a new set of maps that would create up to four additional competitive House districts in the state. These new maps would give Democrats a chance to level the playing field in the midterms in the face of extreme GOP gerrymandering.
Today, we’re sharing a new op-ed from Cookie Hymer Blitz, a resident of Herndon, Virginia, and JDCA’s Virginia Chapter Lead and Southeast Regional Lead. Read below, share with your networks, and sign up to phone bank with us tonight at 5:30 p.m. ET to help turn out Virginia voters ahead of tomorrow’s election.
Jewish Virginians Should Vote YES on Redistricting
By Cookie Hymer Blitz
Like many of you, I’m growing weary of the constant, often misleading, ads about Virginia’s redistricting referendum on April 21. But this is not another ballot question we can afford to tune out. The stakes of this vote are significant, not only for Virginia’s future, but for the strength of our democracy at a moment when it is under real pressure – and a thriving democracy is key to keeping Jewish Americans safe. This referendum will directly affect how Virginians are represented in Congress for the remainder of the decade. Jewish voters can’t afford to sit on the sidelines.
President Trump has been abundantly clear on his plans to redraw congressional maps in red states to benefit himself. When the Texas state legislature considered an unprecedented mid-decade overhaul of their congressional maps, President Trump said “We are entitled to 5 more seats.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session to redraw their maps and net several more Republican seats.
At Passover seders, we ask, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” Given President Trump’s desire to rig the system, these midterm elections are different from all others. The ballot referendum before Virginia voters that will be decided on April 21 came about only after careful consideration and is not permanent. If approved, it would allow Virginia to temporarily update its congressional map in response to these out-of-cycle changes in other states. Virginia did not start the mid-decade redistricting process, but we also won’t sit passively as red states tilt the playing field in their favor. This measure, crucially, does not end the bipartisan redistricting process set to take place in 2030. That process, created by Virginia voters in 2020, would remain fully intact.
The question before Virginia voters is a simple one: Will we level the playing field? As a Jewish Virginian who believes deeply in our democracy, I urge readers to join me in voting YES. In my role as the Virginia chapter lead for the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), I’ve had the opportunity to speak with voters across the Commonwealth. Week after week, I’ve seen people of all ages step up: making calls, having conversations, and engaging in the democratic process. Our team has hosted weekly phone banks for Jewish activists from across the country to call Virginians and urge them to get out and vote. The civic engagement from people near and far has encouraged and inspired me.
Jewish voters have long understood that democracy depends not just on ideals, but on active participation. The Jewish people have seen time and again that when leaders try to silence our voices, as Trump has pledged to do in states across the country, we’re not only less represented, but less safe. That’s why in the most recent polling of Jewish electoral priorities, Jewish voters ranked defense of democracy as their most important issue. As President Trump has prosecuted his political opponents, fired judges, and called for the execution of Democratic members of Congress, the protection of democracy has become paramount in this moment. This referendum is a clear opportunity to make an affirmative stance in support of our democracy and fair elections.
In our places of worship and around Shabbat tables, we teach our children that participation matters and that our voices, when raised together, can build a better world. This referendum is a chance to put those lessons into practice. I’m reminded of the Hebrew phrase: tzedek, tzedek tirdof, which means justice, justice shall you pursue. The question before us in the days ahead is critical in our pursuit of justice, for our Jewish community, for Virginia, and beyond. Join me in voting YES, leveling the playing field, and in having your voice heard in defense of the democracy we all love.
Cookie Hymer Blitz is a resident of Herndon, Virginia, and serves as JDCA’s Virginia Chapter Lead and Southeast Team Lead.