Change could be coming to Virginia’s voting districts.

Governor Abigail Spanberger recently signed a bill that would allow voters to decide on a proposed Constitutional amendment that would give the Virginia General Assembly the power to redraw state congressional maps.

This comes on the heels of other states such as Texas and California making similar decisions when it comes to their district maps.

This has been defined as “partisan gerrymandering,” and it comes on the heels of other states like Texas and California making similar redistricting efforts.

Out of the 11 districts within Virginia, Democrats hold six of those districts. Should voters approve the amendment and it gets signed into law, Democrats could control up to ten of those districts.

“So it draws one district in Southwest Virginia, which is extremely heavily Republican, and then draws eight seats that are pretty heavily Democratic, and then two competitive seats that I think would favor the Democrats, especially in a year like 2026,” Virginia Tech Associate Professor of Political Science Nicholas Goedert said.

Re-drawn districts could also lead to some districts that would normally lean Republican shift into a district that leans more Democrat.

A special election will be held on April 21 to decide this.

Leo and Virginia “Ginger” Hergenroeder of Middleburg, Virginia, are getting ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day this weekend. But that wasn’t always a certainty this year.

Last April, Ginger received a donated kidney through MedStar Georgetown Hospital’s paired kidney exchange program, which allows doctors to search for suitable donors through a massive database.

Initially, Leo was cleared to donate a kidney to his wife. He was a pretty good match, but doctors were confident they could find an even closer match.

And they did. Leo was still able to donate his kidney, which went to someone else in need.

“Leo went in first, for them to harvest his kidney. Then, I came in,” Ginger said, adding that she and her husband had their procedures on the same day.

She recalled the day of her surgery when her doctor pointed to a plain brown box on a table in the operating room and said the donated kidney would soon be inside her body.

She laughed, recalling how plain she thought the box was: “It should be more festive. It should be wrapped in pink paper with a big red bow.”

Leo and Ginger, both graduates of West Springfield High School, went their separate ways after high school, building their lives. They reconnected at their 30-year high school reunion and began dating long-distance as Ginger lived in Florida at the time.

In 1995, Ginger, an avid equestrian and fitness enthusiast, developed Goodpasture Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that led to her kidneys declining and failing. She was able to maintain decent health through diet and exercise, but the disease caught up to her.

She researched several places to receive renal care before deciding on MedStar Georgetown in D.C.

“I’m really glad that we were able to be thorough and get this done for them,” said Dr. Jennifer Verbecy, director of MedStar Georgetown’s Living Donor Kidney Transplant Program.

She described the paired kidney exchange program as part of a national matchmaking service that helps people who need an organ to get that organ quickly and efficiently.

As for Leo and Ginger, they’re making plans for Valentine’s Day.

“We’re going to stay home,” said Leo, as Ginger laughed. “Candy and flowers!”

“The whole goal of all of this is that they go live their normal lives and do whatever they want to do,” Verbecy said. “If they want to go out and party that’s great. If they want to stay home together, that sounds perfect to me.”

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