CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Former Virginia Gov. George Allen said he has challenged the Commonwealth’s current chief executive, Abigail Spanberger, to a series of debates on the proposed redistricting amendment currently before voters.

“I think it’s really important that Gov. Spanberger explains why she’s changed her mind,”
said Allen, who said Spanberger opposed gerrymandering the last time it was debated in Virginia. “Really, tell us the journey of the debate you had with yourself because just a few years ago she said that gerrymandering was detrimental to democracy. And she can explain her side, and I will be happy to explain the side of those of us who think that we ought to keep our fair maps rather than destroying it.”

Allen said his anti-gerrymandering colleague, Brian Cannon, delivered the invitation to debate to Spanberger on Monday. Allen said he’s willing to be flexible with the formats, even saying he’d do virtual debates online if that’s what it takes to get them scheduled.

“Show confidence and let’s have three debates in Virginia,” Allen said “We can work out the details. I think it’s important for voters to hear from both sides.”

A spokesperson for Spanberger indicated the governor would not be scheduling the debates.

“Governor Spanberger has made her support of this referendum clear, and she is encouraging every eligible Virginian to vote yes. Importantly, she believes voters have the information they need to make an informed decision,” the spokesperson told Cville Right Now. “Voters know the proposed map because the General Assembly has passed it. Voters know that this process preserves Virginia’s bipartisan commission for the next post-Census redistricting. Voters know that this referendum is a responsive action because other states have chosen to appease a President who said he is ‘entitled’ to more Republican seats in Congress.
“Virginia will only make a change — even a temporary one — if the people choose to support it.
“Governor Spanberger is focused on the work of governing — reviewing and taking action on the more than 1,100 bills the General Assembly passed, and will continue to make sure voters know to make their voices heard by April 21.”

Democrats have argued that the redistricting amendment to the Virginia constitution is necessary to respond to Republican-led redistricting in other states, including Texas.

Allen condemned Texas’s redistricting and Pres. Donald Trump’s forceful push behind it. He praised Indiana’s rejection of Trump’s demands for that state to follow Texas’s lead.

“I wish our country had the policies and attitude of Texas. We would be much freer and much more prosperous, but I have condemned Texas’s legislature for this abnormal mid-decade redistricting or gerrymandering,” Allen said. “They should not have listened to President Trump, and I think he was wrong to force them to do it. I look at Indiana, the Republicans in control of Indiana. And President Trump has put all sorts of pressure on them. And they said, ‘No, we’re going to stand for principle. We are not going to gerrymander in mid-decade.’ And now some of them are getting challenged in primaries and Trump groups are putting in millions of dollars against them.”

There have already been 564,796 ballots cast in early voting in the referendum, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. That total, 22 days out from the April 21 election day, is ahead of the pace of November’s general election, in which Spanberger became governor, per the VPAP.

How does Allen think Virginia voters will ultimately vote?

“I think it’s up in the air. It’s a coin toss,” he said. “I’m cautiously optimistic that this will just be one of the great wins for represented democracy. If the people rise up against these monarchical elitists, these interests out of D.C. and Northern Virginia and New York and say, ‘No, we’re going to protect our Commonwealth of Virginia. We want fair districts. We want to elect our members of Congress based on our trust in them, their integrity, and their views rather than a bunch of meddling conniving politicians in their self-interested schemes to rig elections.’ So, it would be a message heard across the country, and it would be a tremendous upset.”