Louisa Supervisors want General Assembly to pay for redistricting special election if held

In November, four incumbents on the seven-member Board of Supervisors in Louisa County were re-elected, meaning there are no new faces this year.

There are also no new officers on the Board this year as Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams was re-elected as chair and Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow is once again vice-chair.

“I want to thank the board for re-electing me as Chairman,” Adams said. “It’s my honor to continue to serve in that capacity.”

In one of the first acts of business for 2026, Adams asked for more information about how Louisa County is preparing for the potential of special elections this year if the General Assembly follows through with a Congressional redistricting.

Shortly before the election last fall, both chambers passed the first reference of a Constitutional amendment to allow for a one-time redistricting not related to a Census if other states move forward with their own plans to redistrict to provide a partisan advantage.

Delegate Rodney Willet (D-58) has filed House Joint Resolution 4 to serve as the second reference. If this passes the General Assembly, voters will be asked if they approve the idea before it can take effect. That might mean a special election as early as April.

Louisa County Registrar Christy Watkins told the Board of Supervisors that everything is up to what the General Assembly does.

“I feel like it’s in our best interest to let you all know what might be coming, as well as working with the schools, since we use so many schools,” Watkins said. “Right now the schedule that I think is in your packet shows a possible special election in April and then the June primary.”

Watkins said it could also be that the special election is held in June, pushing the Congressional primary back to August or later. She said each election costs a minimum of $25,000 to hold. So far there’s been no discussion of the logistics of the special election including who pays for it.

Adams weighed in.

“This special election, if it happens, is a concerted effort on behalf of the General assembly to change Congressional districts,” Adams said. “To me this falls under the category of an unfunded mandate.”

Adams asked his colleagues if they would support drafting a letter to the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission as well as area legislators requesting that the state pay for any special election related to redistricting. The motion passed unanimously.

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