Former State Del. Kimberly A. Taylor criticized a voter referendum on congressional redistricting, saying “this election was illegal.”
Taylor made the statement on a social media post following a Tazewell County Circuit Court ruling that blocked certification of the special election results on the congressional redistricting amendment, as reported by the Virginia Mercury. The judge determined that the process used by the General Assembly to advance the measure violated multiple state constitutional and statutory requirements for special sessions. Oral arguments in the related challenge are scheduled for the Virginia Supreme Court next week. “Looking forward to hearing oral arguments Monday,” Taylor wrote on her post.
The issue centers around a constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to redraw congressional districts outside of the normal once-a-decade census cycle as a temporary measure. Virginia voters approved the referendum by a margin of 51.4% to 48.5% with nearly 3.1 million ballots cast, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections. Rural regions of the state have raised concerns that the new maps could diminish their voice in Congress by shifting power toward urban and suburban areas. The current balance in the Virginia congressional delegation stands at six Democrats and five Republicans.
Taylor has served in the Virginia House of Delegates representing District 82. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, according to her official website.
