The stylized map above shows Virginia's 11 congressional districts in equal size, each represented by five hexagons, and it's colored in according to which party controls which seat in the U.S. House. Eight districts—73 percent of the total—are held by Republicans, even though Barack Obama carried the state twice.
That red sea is absurd, but there's a simple explanation for it: Gerrymandering. Republicans held complete sway over the redistricting process following the 2010 Census, so they were able to hand-craft Virginia's congressional lines according to their exact specifications. The result was a map that allowed the GOP to dominate the state's House delegation in lopsided fashion, even though Virginia is a swing state that's been trending blue.
Fortunately, there's a straightforward way for Democrats to fight back: We need to make sure we retake the legislature in time for the next round of redistricting, which is just five years away. That's why Daily Kos has endorsed several strong contenders running for both the state Senate and the state House in next month's elections.
In fact, we only need to pick up one seat in the Senate to win back a majority in the chamber. The House is a longer-term project, but Republicans are always thinking long term, so we must, too—and it's winnable by 2020.
So please, contribute $1 to each of these excellent candidates running for the Virginia legislature and help bring a halt to blatant Republican gerrymanders.