Reprinted with permission by McGuireWoods Consulting, LLC.

The Virginia political landscape is shifting dramatically. Not only does the Old Dominion have a new governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and a new House Republican majority, but the Virginia Supreme Court approved a new redistricting plan that will have major ramifications over the next decade.

A few key takeaways from the new districts:

• Half of the Virginia state senators are either paired or tripled in districts with other sitting senators, with 18 double-ups and two triple-ups.
• There are 11 new state senate districts without current incumbents.
• 42 out of the 100 delegates are paired or tripled in districts with other sitting delegates, with 40 double-ups and two triple-ups.
• There are 23 new state house districts without current incumbents.
• Three members of Congress were drawn out of their current districts, leaving no incumbent to reside within the new boundary.

Why does this matter?

There will likely be significant shifts in seniority and representation, both in the Virginia congressional delegation and the Virginia General Assembly. We will likely see some unanticipated retirements and others who run for different offices. There will be a swath of legislators with new portfolios, which will have lasting impacts over the next decade. Those who recognize these environmental changes and educate new legislators on their issues will be successful.

Background and Process

The Supreme Court of Virginia unanimously approved in late December 2021 the final maps for congressional and general assembly districts for the next decade. Every 10 years, states are required to update legislative district boundaries (state and federal) based on the previous year’s U.S. census data.

In the 2020 election, Virginia voters approved an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia establishing a redistricting commission composed of state legislators and other citizens of the commonwealth. The commission was tasked with drafting and approving state and congressional district maps.

If consensus failed among commission members and no maps were approved by a set deadline, the constitutional amendment would require the Supreme Court of Virginia to take over the map-making process, which is what occurred in fall 2021.

Under the Supreme Court’s process, two “special masters,” who are experts in this field, were appointed by the court to create the new maps. Both political parties, Republican and Democrat, put forth names for special masters and one from each was selected.

In addition to considering public comment, the new maps were to follow general criteria for compactness, political competitiveness and communities of interest; however, debate ensued regarding whether to consider incumbent residency and the pairing of one or more sitting legislators in the same district. In the special masters’ approved maps, avoiding such pairings was not a priority.

Outcomes

State Legislative Districts

The new Virginia General Assembly district lines create several incumbent pairings in the House of Delegates and the Senate, and in some cases, create new districts where no incumbent currently lives. In most instances, pairings have two incumbents of the same party drawn into the same district. Moreover, several of these pairings affect members in seniority or in leadership roles. All of this raises uncertainty for the next election cycle.

Under Virginia law, state legislators must reside in the districts they represent. This presents a question for these current members in paired districts: Run against a colleague, move and run in a new district, or retire from the Virginia General Assembly. One element that will play a key role in these decisions is, of course, the political performance of the new districts.

In the Senate of Virginia, half of the entire 40-member chamber has been paired or tripled with other sitting senators. Here is the breakdown:

Roanoke/Lynchburg region:

• John Edwards (D) and David Suetterlein (R)
• Steve Newman (R) and Mark Peake (R)

Valley/Western region:

• Creigh Deeds (D), Emmett Hanger (R) and Mark Obenshain (R)

Richmond/Peninsula region:

• Amanda Chase (R) and Ghazala Hashmi (D)
• Ryan McDougle (R) and Tommy Norment (R)

Tidewater region:

• Bill DeSteph (R), Jen Kiggans (R) and Lynwood Lewis (D)
• Louise Lucas (D) and Lionell Spruill (D)

Northern Virginia region:

• Jennifer Boysko (D) and Janet Howell (D)
• Dave Marsden (D) and Dick Saslaw (D)

There are 11 new Senate districts without a current incumbent.

In the House of Delegates, nearly half of the 100 districts have paired incumbents.

Southwest/Southside region:

• Israel O’Quinn (R) and Will Wampler (R)
• Marie March (R) and Wren Williams (R)
• James Edmunds (R) and Danny Marshall (R)

Roanoke/Lynchburg region:

• Terry Austin (R) and Chris Head (R)
• John Avoli (R) and Ronnie Campbell (R)
• Kathy Byron (R) and Wendell Walker (R)

Richmond region:

• Buddy Fowler (R) and Scott Wyatt (R)
• Lamont Bagby (D) and Schuyler VanValkenburg (D)

Tidewater region:

• Glenn Davis (R), Kelly Fowler (D) and Barry Knight (R)
• Cliff Hayes (D) and Jay Leftwich (R)
• Nadarius Clark (D) and Don Scott (D)
• C. Cordoza (R) and Jeion Ward (D)
• Tim Anderson (R) and Rob Bloxom (R)

Northern Neck region:

• Bobby Orrock (R) and Margaret Ransone (R)

Northern Virginia region:

• Elizabeth Guzman (D) and Luke Torian (D)
• Eileen Filler-Corn (D) and Kathy Tran (D)
• David Bulova (D) and Dan Helmer (D)
• Kaye Kory (D) and Marcus Simon (D)
• Kathleen Murphy (D) and Rip Sullivan (D)
• Dave LaRock (R) and Michael Webert (R)

There are more than 20 new House districts without a current incumbent.

Congressional Districts

Virginia’s 11 seats in the House of Representatives also saw significant change in the new districts, and incumbent pairings are seen here as well. However, members of Congress are not required to live in the districts they represent, creating less of a challenge for incumbents seeking another term.

Three incumbents — Griffith (9th), Luria (2nd) and Spanberger (7th) — were drawn out of their current districts, leaving no incumbent to reside within the new boundary.

Congressman Griffith was drawn into the 6th district with Congressman Cline. Congresswoman Luria was drawn into the 3rd with Congressman Scott. And Congresswoman Spanberger was drawn into the 1st district with Congressman Wittman. Both Griffith and Spanberger have announced their intentions to run for reelection in their newly drawn districts (where they currently do not reside). In the case of Luria, she has yet to announce her intentions but does own a second home within the boundaries of the newly drawn 2nd.

Timing and Partisanship

The new maps for congressional and general assembly districts went into effect immediately after the Supreme Court of Virginia issued the order. The congressional lines will be used for the midterm elections in November 2022, and the maps for the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia will be in effect for the next scheduled general election in 2023. However, pending litigation could determine if members of the House of Delegates must run again in 2022 under the new districts.

According to election data from the Virginia Public Access Project, partisanship lean is unlikely to change greatly under the new maps.

In the Senate of Virginia, the current makeup is 21 Democrats and 19 Republicans. Under the new maps and using partisan performance from the 2016 presidential election, there is one less projected “toss up” district and Democrats gain one additional (up to 16) strong Democrat seat. This means, in off-year elections like 2023, a 20-20 tie is still very much a possibility.

In the House of Delegates, the current makeup following the 2021 elections is 52 Republicans and 48 Democrats. The new maps again are unlikely to offer substantial change in terms of party control. Using the same 2016 data, both Democrats and Republicans gain strong and likely seats, with Democrats having a slight advantage. With each caucus strengthening its respective floors, the number of toss-up districts lessens to just 10 seats.

Virginia’s current congressional delegation is seven Democrats and four Republicans. Party performance for congressional districts using 2016 data appears to go largely unchanged from the current five likely or strong Democratic seats and five likely or strong Republican seats, leaving the same single seat as a toss-up.

As a caveat to the projections for partisan performance, using 2016 presidential election data is simply a baseline. In off-year elections when the president is not on the ballot, partisan strengths are likely to shift.

With the U.S. dollar at an 18-month high, Robert Harper with Virginia Farm Bureau’s grain division explains the outside influences on this volatile week. March corn is up 20 cents at $6.36. December corn closed at $5.65. March soybeans are at $14.70. July wheat is up 8 cents at $7.82.

It’s Week Two of the Virginia General Assembly. Watch the latest updates from Virginia Farm Bureau Governmental Relations here.

On January 13, 2022, President Biden announced his intent to appoint additional leaders to serve as United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Directors, including the Virginia position.

The USDA’s FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster and farm marketing programs in each U.S. State. Its mission is to equitably serve all farmers, ranchers and agricultural partners through the delivery of effective, efficient agricultural programs for all Americans. State Executive Directors oversee this work, ensuring the needs of local constituents are met and that USDA resources are distributed equitably and fairly.

Ronald Howell has been named as USDA FSA State Executive Director for Virginia. Howell comes to this new position with more than 12 years of professional experience in higher education, state and federal government. In summer 2018, he began his tenure as the Director of Operations and Management in the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University. In this capacity, he oversees day-to-day operations of the College and the University’s Farm. He also carries an administrative appointment in the Department of Agriculture and serves as a faculty instructor, teaching courses in agriculture education and mechanization.

Previously, Howell served as the Special Assistant/Advisor for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives to the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, in the Office of Virginia Governors McAuliffe and Northam, respectively. Across the Commonwealth, he worked to strengthen outreach efforts as well as minority and limited resourced producers’ participation in USDA and state-based agricultural and conservation programs. Additionally, he provided recommendations for the Virginia Farm Business Development Program (VFBD) and the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Program.

“I am thankful to have the opportunity to return to USDA to serve as FSA State Executive Director in Virginia. Agriculture is Virginia’s number one industry, and I am committed to advancing the agency’s mission at the state level and ensuring the voice of every customer that depends on programs and services provided by FSA is heard,” Howell said in a statement. “There are tremendous opportunities ahead to open doors of access and to build partnerships with Virginia Farm Bureau and other ag-based organizations to advocate for the wonderful men and women responsible for providing the food, fuel, feed, and fiber supply for our great nation and globally!”

Howell received his B.S. in Agriculture Business and Economics from Virginia State University in 2009 and earned a Master’s degree from Virginia Tech in Agricultural and Life Sciences in 2012. In 2021, he received his doctorate degree in P-20 Education and Community Leadership with a focus in Agriculture Education from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. He resides in Spring Grove, (Surry Co.) Virginia.

Virginia Farm Bureau looks forward to working with Mr. Howell to support and promote Virginia agriculture and farmers.

Today, Robert Harper with Virginia Farm Bureau’s grain division breaks down the USDA Annual Crop Report for Virginia.

For 2021 in Virginia, the USDA is reporting:

• Corn: 59.2 million bushels across 370,000 harvested acres.

• Soybeans: 27.1 million bushels across 590,000 harvested acres.

General Assembly updates are back! The GR team hit the ground running this week! Watch Andrew and Stefanie break down Week 1.

The market continues to be volatile and this has been a week of so many influences on grain prices. Today, Robert Harper with Virginia Farm Bureau’s grain division recommends sorting through all the noise and making wise decisions. March corn is up 13 cents at $6.06. March soybeans are at $14.10 and July wheat is at $7.57.

Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin announced he has chosen Andrew Wheeler as the next Secretary of Natural Resources and Michael Rolband as the next Director of Environmental Quality.

“Virginia needs a diverse energy portfolio in place to fuel our economic growth, continued preservation of our natural resources and a comprehensive plan to tackle rising sea levels. Andrew and Michael share my vision in finding new ways to innovate and use our natural resources to provide Virginia with a stable, dependable and growing power supply meeting Virginia’s power demands without passing the costs on to the consumer,” said Governor-elect Youngkin. “Together, we will address Virginia’s ongoing environmental, energy and natural resources challenges, including protecting the Chesapeake Bay, fully funding our best management practices, solving longstanding stormwater management issues and establishing a Coastal Virginia Resiliency Authority. Finally, David Paylor should be commended for his decades of service to DEQ. He has been an invaluable public servant, and I wish him well in his next adventures. I’m sure he will continue to make significant contributions to the Commonwealth.”

The Honorable Andrew Wheeler, Secretary of Natural Resources
Andrew brings extensive experience and passion to the administration, dedicating his career to advancing sound environmental policies. He completed his law degree at Washington University in St. Louis, his MBA at George Mason University, and his undergraduate work at Case Western Reserve University in English and Biology.

In 2019, the U.S. Senate confirmed Andrew as the 15th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. He was previously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the EPA deputy administrator in 2018. He began his career during the George H. W. Bush Administration as a special assistant in EPA’s Pollution Prevention and Toxics office as a career employee.

He served as a principal and the team leader of the Energy and Environment Practice Group at FaegreBD Consulting, as well as Counsel at Faegre Baker Daniels law firm, where he practiced since 2009. He also served as the co-chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Industry team across the entire firm.

Prior to his work with the firm, Andrew served for six years as the majority staff director and chief counsel, as well as the Minority Staff Director, of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Before his time at the full Senate EPW Committee, he served in a similar capacity for six years for the Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, Wetlands and Nuclear Safety.

Andrew is the past chairman of the National Energy Resource Organization (NERO) and a Stennis Fellow. He is also an Eagle Scout.

Michael Rolband, Director of Environmental Quality
Mike Rolband comes to the administration with an abundance of knowledge and hands-on experience, known as an environmental expert by colleagues across the United States, the team is grateful to have him as part of the administration. A graduate of Cornell University, Mike has a B.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering along with an MBA and Master of Engineering Degree.

Mike founded Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI), and grew the company from a one-man firm to a multi-disciplinary natural and historic resources consulting firm where he managed and led more than 160 regulatory and compliance specialists, scientists, engineers, surveyors, GIS specialists, archeologists, ecosystem and restoration specialists and arborists. Over nearly 30 years, his company provided services and permit approvals on more than 8,000 projects across 300,000 acres in the region, including data centers, major transportation infrastructure, master planned communities and office and industrial developments. He founded WSSI to assist economic developers in navigating the Clean Water Act, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act and local environmental regulations.

Mike and WSSI started Virginia’s first wetland mitigation bank in 1991 (approved in 1994, fourth in the U.S.). Virginia’s first mitigation bank to provide stream credits (2001), and Virginia’s first urban stream bank in 2006. He has received numerous industry achievement and civic engagement awards and is frequently invited by public and private sector entities to conduct seminars on storm water management, mitigation, wetland and stream regulatory policy, and Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act regulations.

Mike established the Resource Protection Group, Inc., a 501(c) 3 non-profit that has awarded more than $5.4 million in grants to date, advancing the science of wetland and steam restoration and funding the graduate school education of dozens of students over the years through these research projects. From 2017 to 2020, Cornell University appointed him a Professor of Practice where he taught Wetlands and Stream Restoration. Mike is a registered Professional Engineer, Professional Wetland Delineator and a Professional Wetland Scientist (Emeritus).