The fact that Sentor Barker drew a map that puts him out of contention with any other incumbants is the whole point of having the commission in the first place. His point about the House and Senate needing approve the maps is a reasonable one. However, I have two counter points to this. 1. In how many places in the world do you get to blantantly disregard the rules and your boss (in this case the citizens of VA) and still expect people to consider you a fair and honest person who they want to work with, do business with, etc.? Maybe you can get away with it once or twice or 1500000 times, but it eventually does come back at you. 2. The whole point of having the commission in the first place is because we didn't like what Sentators and Delegates were doing, so how can you reasonably assume that is the starting point? Demographics change and that is why we have redistricting to begin with. Sometimes that means someone looses, but that shouldn't mean we should start with the assumption of our elected officials take priority and we make districts around them - that's as poor of a decision as starting with "no incumbent gets to win."

Senator Barker's blatant attempt to gerrymander to his benefit is an example of the very reason Virginia voters overwhelmingly approved this commission. The district that Senator Barker currently represents is not "his." If he chooses to run in a fairly drawn district and is elected, then the people will have chosen their representative. It's not supposed to work the other way around.

Maps should not be drawn with the intent of furthering the interests of incumbents. That means no partisan gerrymandering and no re-writing the maps to ensure incumbent protection. I'm against this map and I'm against considering incumbent addresses in the map-making process. The "from scratch" maps are a great breath of fresh air in a state whose history of gerrymandering needs it.

This boot seems weird. It doesn't show up on any other proposed map and looks like it would split up local communities of interest. I think some explanation regarding the reasoning behind this proposal should be proffered before it is incorporated in other proposals or adopted as a district boundary.

As noted on the map number 36, this proposed border for district 6 does not make sense as it appears to be based, at least in-part, on boundaries that were based an old census designated place for Tyson's Corner. The boundaries here do not match the most recent boundary for the Tyson's CDP (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/map/tysonscdpvirginia/PST045219), which also happens to extend too far south in this region. To the extent that this region between Chain Bridge Road, Leesburg Pike, and 495 is going to be split between districts, it should follow how Fairfax County distinguishes between Tyson's Corner and the surrounding communities for specialized development (see https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/tysons/tysons-corner-interactive-portal). Alternatively, it would make sense to extend district 6 all the way up to Chain Bridge Road and Leesburg Pike---the portion of Tyson's Corner here is primarily, if not exclusively, commercial. Thus using these roads as the borders rather than the exact boundary of Tyson's Corner would disadvantage few if any voters.

Like all other Virginians, Senator Barker has a right to draw his dream map. But these maps are being drawn with the purpose of having the 8.5 million residents of Virginia administer their democracy. This map doesn't serve that purpose and should not be considered by the Commission.

This map appears to be created to maintain the status quo of the district that Senator Barker currently serves. Virginia's voters did not overwhelming vote to amend our Constitution to have an incumbent, who happens to serve on this Commission to continue the practice of incumbency protection.

This appears to be a blatant case of political gerrymandering. Senator Barker has redrawn a few districts so that his personal residence is within one of these districts. Senator Barker had complained at last week's meeting that if this (A1 Senate draft map) was "final", then he would "resign today." Clearly he did not agree with either proposed Senate map, so he took matters into his own hands. I implore the other 15 Commissioners to resist and reject this attempt to gerryrig Virginia's maps. For the people, not the politicians.

The voters created this commission to draw fair maps for all Virginians, not to allow individual commissioners to gerrymander the maps to benefit themselves personally. You should not, under any circumstances, accept these proposed district. We are watching and you better believe there will be a public outcry if Sen. Barker is allowed to gerrymander his own district--that is the OPPOSITE of what voters created this Commission to do