BY OLYMPIA MEOLA

Several groups came out in support of the state Senate’s Congressional redistricting plan on Tuesday, saying it “improves representation of our state’s growing minority population while preserving compact and competitive districts.”

ProgressVA, VirginiaNew Majority, Virginia AFL-CIO and the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia wrote to Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, and Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Mary Margaret Whipple, D-Arlington, urging them to continue support “for fair and competitive congressional districts.”

The Republican-controlled House has drawn up a plan that essentially tracks the current map. It would leave one black-majority district, the 3rd, which has been represented since 1992 by Democrat Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, who is African-American.

The Democrat-controlled state Senate proposed a plan that would reduce the number of blacks in the 3rd from about 55 percent to 40 percent, and create a new black-majority district in the 4th District, now represented by Republican J. Randy Forbes, who is white.

Here’s the full letter:

July 26, 2011

Dear Leader Saslaw and Senator Whipple,

Thank you for your support of fair congressional districts. Virginians deserve the opportunity to choose their representatives, not the other way around.

The incumbent protection plan being pushed by the House of Delegates is simply unacceptable. We want competitive districts where our votes matter. We cannot accept a politically motivated redistricting plan drawn up by politicians in a back room.

The Locke plan, while not perfect, improves representation of our state’s growing minority population while preserving compact and competitive districts.

Thank you for your support of fair and competitive congressional districts.

Sincerely,
Virginia New Majority

ProgressVA

Virginia AFL-CIO

Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia