For an opposing point of view, see “The answer to authoritarianism isn’t gerrymandering,” by Brian Cannon. For more on the April 21 special election, see our Voter Guide. Got a question about redistricting? Let us know here and we’ll see if we can answer it.
Before I first ran for office, I spent decades in the college classroom. Teaching is my passion because education is both the pathway for economic mobility and the cornerstone of an effective democracy. My classrooms were filled by first-generation college students, working parents, veterans and young people striving to build better lives for themselves and their families. What I saw, year after year, was simple: when people are given a fair opportunity, they succeed. When the system is fair, it works.
That belief continues to guide my work now as a public servant. It is also why I voted YES on Virginia’s redistricting referendum, and why I believe Virginians should do the same.
At its core, this referendum is about fairness. It is about whether voters will continue to have the power to choose their representatives, or whether Donald Trump will be allowed to rig the system.
Across the country, we are seeing a coordinated and disturbing effort to tilt the balance of government. In states such as Texas, North Carolina and Missouri, Republican leaders — encouraged by Trump — are redrawing congressional maps mid-decade to lock in political advantage ahead of the 2026 elections. These are not routine adjustments. They are deliberate efforts to shape outcomes before even a single vote is cast.
Virginia now faces a clear choice: allow these efforts to move forward, or place a check on them.
This moment also comes amid broader instability that should concern anyone who cares about opportunity and long-term growth. As an educator, I have watched with growing concern as Trump and Republicans pursue policies that inject uncertainty and chaos into our education system by dismantling the Department of Education, attacking our universities and cutting the programs that support students across the commonwealth. I know firsthand the power of these programs to transform lives, and I know how harmful these cuts will be.
Education does not operate well in chaos. Schools, colleges and workforce development programs depend on stability, planning and sustained investment. When those are disrupted, the consequences are not abstract; they are felt by students trying to access financial aid, by families navigating rising costs and by communities working to build economic opportunity.
In Virginia, we have taken a different approach. We have worked to invest in our schools, expand access to higher education and strengthen pathways to well-paying jobs. Each of these efforts depend on a functioning democracy and a functioning Congress in which representation is fair, responsive and attuned to the needs of constituents.
That connection between fair representation and real-world outcomes is too often overlooked. The composition of Congress directly affects whether communities receive resources for education, health care, housing and essential infrastructure.
For me, this issue is also deeply personal. I immigrated to the United States from India as a child and grew up in Georgia as public schools were being desegregated. I saw firsthand how policy decisions shape opportunity.
Education opened doors for me. It made it possible for me to build a career, raise a family and ultimately serve the commonwealth I have called home for more than three decades. But opportunities such as these do not happen by accident. They depend on systems that are intentionally designed for fairness and accountability.
That is what is at stake in this referendum.
Voting YES will help ensure that Virginia maintains a fair and transparent redistricting process. It will prevent the kind of mid-decade manipulation we are seeing from Republican states and reinforce the principle that voters — not politicians — have the final say.
This is not a question of partisanship. It is a question of whether we are willing to protect the integrity of our democracy at a time when it is being most tested.
Virginia has a long history of moving forward, expanding opportunity and building a more inclusive commonwealth. We are now being asked to decide what kind of system we want to uphold.
Voting is already underway, and Election Day is April 21. I encourage every Virginian to make a plan to participate and to vote yes.
This is about more than one election cycle. It is about whether we preserve a system that is fair, representative and responsive, and that gives every community a meaningful voice and every individual a genuine opportunity.
That is why I voted YES. And that is why I hope Virginians will as well.
Hashmi is lieutenant governor of Virginia.
