PROPOSED REDISTRICTING

I’m often asked how the proposed Virginia Congressional redistricting will affect me. I currently live in District 1 — the Historic Triangle — home to Jamestown, where my ancestor Richard Littlepage arrived around 1650; Williamsburg, where John and James Littlepage enlisted in George Washington’s regiment; and Yorktown, where our independence was won.

My family, like so many others, came here for the American dream. They fought to survive, they fought for freedom, and many — including my father — fought fascism and racial and religious persecution in WWII. He spoke of the horrors he witnessed when Auschwitz was liberated.

Today, those same forces — fascism, racial and religious profiling, and detainment camps — are appearing here at home. The American dream is still alive, but it must be defended.

Yes, the proposed redistricting moves me three miles outside the new District 8. Unlike candidates who immediately look for an easier race, my fight is here — in the part of Virginia my ancestors settled and defended.

Is it legal to run while living three miles outside the new district? Absolutely. The Constitution requires only that a member of Congress live in the state they represent, a standard upheld by the Supreme Court. Many members of Congress have lived outside their district. Will I move three miles? Maybe. The district numbers may change, but my fight is here.

Rob Wittman has been a silent partner to Trump’s authoritarian agenda. His record — cuts to Medicaid, attacks on reproductive rights, harmful environmental and energy positions, and his refusal to challenge Trump’s unconstitutional tariffs — shows how out of touch he is with Virginia and with America.

I’m not here for the easy fight. I’m here for the necessary one. I will run in the 1st District if redistricting fails, and in the new 8th if it passes. Either way, I’m here to fight for Virginia, for America, and to defeat Rob Wittman.