McLean Gains/Loses State Reps With Redistricting

Redistricting in Virginia carved McLean up among three Virginia House of Delegates districts and two Virginia State Senate districts.

In the Virginia Senate, McLean had been represented by one state senator, Janet Howell, (D). Now McLean has been sliced  into two Senate districts: Southwest McLean is still part of Howell's 32nd district.

But, the vast majority of McLean of has been sutured to an almost totally redrawn 31st district which sews together Arlington with McLean, Great Falls and part of Loudoun County. Arlington Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D) now represents the 31st but she's retiring. That's an open seat.

In the House of Delegates, the bulk of McLean was represented by Barbara Comstock (R-34th) and a small portion by Jim Scott (D). McLean can wave goodbye to Scott. 

Now McLean residents in the South are represented by Arlington Del. Bob Brink (D-48th)  and those living in and around Tysons Corner are represented by Mark Keam (D-35th). Comstock's district now includes eastern McLean and extends into Loudoun County.

“McLean was mangled,” said Rob Jackson, president of the McLean Citizens Association. “They chopped McLean up." At Jackson's suggestion, the MCA voted last week to create an exploratory subcommittee to study the  feasibility of a legal challenge to the the new districts.

The McLean Citizens Association asked the governor to veto the  Senate and House redistricting plans because they split McLean. The Fairfax County Board of Elections wrote to the governor also opposing the new districts because of the split districts.

McLean was divided into three Delegate districts prior to 2000,  Brink recalled.  "I'm looking forward to representing McLean," he said. "McLean and North Arlington share similar concerns about transportation."

Brink, who now represents 7.5 South McLean precincts,  said he will walk McLean in late May in search of signatures for his nominating petitions.  Also,  former state delegate Margi Vanderhye, of McLean, will host a "friend-raiser" for him in June, he said.

You'll hear "friend-raiser" a lot in the coming weeks as the new representatives get to know their McLean constituents.

Mark Keam, whose 35th District now extends East nearly to Great Falls Road in McLean said, "It gives me a chance to get to know a lot of new people."

He recalled that he and his colleague Barbara Comstock arrived in Richmond in 2010. In redistricting, "She took a couple of my precincts and I took some of hers," he said.

 Janet Howell, chairs the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, which created the new Senate districts. Why did  she basically redistrict herself out of most of McLean?

Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax) answered that question at Sunday night's Jefferson Jackson dinner, a major Democratic fundraiser: "Everybody  had to give up something to help the marginal districts in Northern Virginia," he said.

Dranesville Supervisor John Foust said: "I'm especially disappointed about the House seats. I think McLean should be a single district, but I'm glad about Bob Brink because he's a good guy."

As for the Senate: "Two senators is a good thing especially Janet Howell with the seniority. . . but it's a bit of a stretch to go into Loudoun County," Foust said.

Here's your scorecard to getting to know the new representatives.

McLean Senate:

--- 31st. Open seat. This slender district that hugs the Potomac runs from Cristal City through Arlington, McLean Great Falls and end in Loudoun County.

Caren Merrick, a McLean Republican, last year that she was running for the State Senate. She thought she would be opposing Howell. Barbara Favola, Democrat, Arlington resident,  former chairman of the Arlington County Board, has also her candidacy for the seat.

Political blogger Ben Tribbett announced last week that he would not run for the seat.

---32nd. Howell, incumbent state senator. She now represents only southwestern McLean generally from Old Dominion to the Beltway. Patrick Forrest (R),  of Reston, an attorney, Coast Guard Officer, is running against Howell.

House of Delegates

---34th. Incumbent Barbara Comstock announced for reelection March 28. McLean attorney Pamela Danner, a Democrat, said she would announce her candidacy for this seat Monday.

---35th. Mark Keam, incumbent Democrat, who has for reelection.   His district was extended eastward and now includes Tysons Corner and stretches nearly to Great Falls/Lewinsville Road. This was formerly part of Jim Scott's 53rd District.

---48th, Bob Brink Basically southern McLean. This district was formerly all Arlington and a tad of Falls Church. 

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We'd like to show you the new districts but the Fairfax County mapping department is still putting together the new political boundaries. The easiest way to see the new districts and compare them to the old districts is to use a the nonpartisan and nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project website.

Their maps are easily accessible and easy to read. The maps prepared by the General Assembly are nearly impossible for the ordinary citizen to use.

Here's how to use the VPAP maps:

• Click here. You'll land on the homepage and there's a map of Virginia at the top of the page.
• Click (or double click) any where on the map. Another map of Virginia comes up. You can chose to look at Senate or House districts.
• Now find Fairfax County. As you roll your cursor over the county, the districts will pop up.
•  Just click on the ones you want. You'll get a map that takes you down to the street level. You can see the new district and old district. You can also see what areas were added and which subtracted. The map tells you whether the new district is more Republican or Democratic.