WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – The State Senate’s Redistricting Committee has scheduled an organizational meeting for 3 p.m., Thursday, September 23, in the Senate Judiciary Committee Room (208W) at the state capitol.
West Virginia citizens, especially those interested in running for office in 2022, have been anxiously anticipating public work by this and other committees that will redistrict the state legislature and the state’s congressional districts.
Although final results of the 2020 federal census are not yet known, the legislature will have only a short window in which to pass redistricting legislation. The filing period for the 2022 election begins on January 10.
Up until redistricting is complete, candidates are being permitted to simply file for the legislature with no district designation.
Those will change when redistricting is completed, according to leadership.
A major result of this redistricting, which the legislature does every ten years, is to cut the size of the state’s federal House of Representatives districts from three to two.
Currently, three Republicans — David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Carol Miller — serve in the districts.
Even bigger changes will be seen in redistricting the state House of Delegates. Because of some multi-member districts, there are currently 64 districts that elect 100 delegates.
By new legislation passed since 2010, there will be 100 single-member delegate districts following this year’s process.
Politicians across the state have openly speculated on how districts may be redistricted. With Republican Governor Jim Justice and a supermajority of Republicans in both the House of Delegates and State Senate, Democrat lawmakers fear that the GOP may try to gerrymander even greater legislative majorities.
The congressional redistricting has drawn widespread interest, with the loss of one seat due to the declining population.
In announcing the organizational meeting, the committee said there will be no consideration of draft maps at this initial session.
Subsequent meeting dates and procedures for the remainder of the redistricting process will be discussed at the Thursday meeting. The House of Delegates will also hold meetings and discussions of their plans.