Ashley Lopez
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
These are very different states.
Virginia is more of a purple state.
They're just more independent and Republican voters who are obviously less invested in seeing Democrats gain some political advantage.
Virginia is one of several states that has an independent redistricting commission, so voters would need to approve a measure allowing state lawmakers to circumvent the commission in order to create new seats that favor Democrats.
Polling shows that voters in the Commonwealth narrowly approve of the measure, but both parties have been spending millions of dollars in a race that could potentially be quite close.
If passed, Virginia would be the latest state to redraw its congressional lines ahead of the midterms.
This battle started last year when President Trump asked Texas Republicans to create five more seats that favor Republicans in the state.
Since then, several states have changed their maps.
The 13 voters who participated in these groups voted for Biden in 2020 and then Trump in 2024.
And all 13 said they don't think the war is going well.
They say they're concerned the president is focused on the wrong issues.
Dawn, who participated under the condition her last name would not be used, said she's particularly frustrated that the president is not focused on the economy.
Nearly all participants said they feel more economic anxiety now than they did before Trump took office again.
Hey there, it's the NPR Politics Podcast.
I'm Ashley Lopez.
I cover voting.
An auspicious day because it's the entire voting team on the same podcast.