LIVE from Norfolk State. VA Referendum Could Flip 4 Seats. Youth Vote Push Intensifies

Virginia's April 21st referendum to change congressional maps is a critical election that could flip four seats, potentially determining which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives in November. This shift would significantly impact national political power and the ability of Democrats to advance their legislative agenda.

Roland Martin states, 'This election could very well determine political power in November. Which party controls the house and also will determine black political power.' (06:27)

Republicans have historically engaged in mid-decade gerrymandering, redrawing congressional maps outside the usual post-census cycle to gain political advantage. This strategy, which started in Texas in 2003 and spread to states like Florida, Missouri, and North Carolina, has often resulted in the elimination of black congressional districts.

Roland Martin details, 'Republicans moved forward to change the maps in the middle of the decade. It first started in 2003 in my home state of Texas when Tom Delay forced a change of the map that wiped out white Democrats in the state.' He later mentions Trump ordering Texas Governor Greg Abbott to get five districts, 'wiping out two black congressional districts in Texas.' (09:00, 09:18)

Virginia Democrats are adopting an aggressive strategy to counter Republican gerrymandering, using their legislative majority (trifecta) to redraw maps in their favor. This approach, advocated by Senator Louise Lucas, rejects playing 'nice' and instead focuses on exercising power to level the playing field, setting a precedent for other states.

Senator Mamie Lock states, 'This is Virginia Democrats saying, "Okay, y'all want to roll. Let's roll. You had power. You used power. We have power. We going to use power."' Senator Lucas adds, 'We have the power. We have the majority in the Senate. We know that we're going to get the majority in the House. So, let's start talking about redistricting right now.' (29:25, 30:28)

With a Democratic trifecta (control of the governorship, state house, and state senate), Virginia has passed significant legislation that was previously vetoed. These achievements include increasing the minimum wage, establishing paid family leave, advancing collective bargaining rights, addressing unconscious bias in medical care, and moving forward with constitutional amendments for marriage equality, reproductive healthcare, and a constitutional right to vote.

Senator Mamie Lock lists accomplishments: 'minimum wage. We passed that. It has been signed, paid family leave, put it in again, it has been signed. Collective bargaining in the on the governor's desk. Now, a bill that I've been working on for years dealing with unconscious bias in medical care. It has been signed. Three constitutional amendments dealing with marriage equality, reproductive health care, and a constitutional right to vote. Those three amendments are on the ballot in November.' (31:38)

Engaging young voters (18-29 demographic) is crucial for political change, as this group historically has the lowest turnout. The story of 19-year-old Supervisor Cameron Drew, who won his election by just eight votes, exemplifies how individual votes and youth representation can make a tangible difference in local governance and inspire broader participation.

Roland Martin notes, 'The people who vote the least are 18-29.' Cameron Drew states he ran 'because I knew within my county there was a large age gap... our youth didn't always feel that they were represented.' He won by 'only eight votes.' (21:02, 14:47, 18:07)

Opponents of the referendum are employing deceptive tactics, including sending out 'destructive mailers' with KKK themes and misusing images of figures like Barack Obama to sow confusion and discourage 'yes' votes. These tactics are part of a broader pattern of voter suppression efforts specifically targeting black voters, as seen in other states.

Senator Mamie Lock discusses 'destructive mailers that are going out using KKK themes' and misusing 'President Obama's picture' to tell people to vote no. Roland Martin adds that Republicans 'purposely trying to use the images of KKK denying folks the right to vote to get them to vote no against this referendum.' (37:10, 38:07)

Achieving lasting political change, especially through constitutional amendments, requires sustained power across multiple legislative sessions and intervening elections. The ability to maintain control over time is essential to pass and protect progressive legislation, preventing efforts to reverse progress by opposing parties.

House Speaker Don Scott explains that constitutional amendments 'had to be passed in consecutive sessions' with 'an intervening election.' He emphasizes that if power isn't maintained, 'you start over again. The clock restarts.' (01:40:56, 01:41:23)