Hypocrisy was triumphant, as it usually is in arguments over redistricting, in Virginia this week, as voters approved a “fairness” constitutional amendment allowing the Democratic-majority legislature to enact a congressional districting plan which is expected to increase Democrats’ edge in its congressional delegation from 6-5 to 10-1. This is a state in which Vice President Kamala Harris carried over President Donald Trump by a 52% to 46% margin.

Before this year, Virginia Democrats had been bragging about the bipartisan redistricting process they created and voters approved in 2020. Each party was to appoint an expert, and if they agreed on a plan, it was adopted. After the 2020 Census, Virginia’s congressional map was drawn by political scientists Bernard Grofman and Sean Trende, a longtime friend of Grofman. The result was four strongly Democratic districts, four less strongly Republican ones, two narrowly Democratic seats in Northern Virginia, and one true toss-up in the Hampton Roads region.