In 2003 Al Weed embarked on a quest to replace Virgil Goode as U.S. Representative for the Fifth District. I helped put together a presentation he used at fundraisers. We wanted to demonstrate the difficulties of campaigning in the Fifth, across 22 localities and five (mostly inefficient) media markets. I made a display piece with a map of the Fifth shown as part of the Commonwealth. It had a fold-out flap with a map of New Jersey, to the same scale. Viewers would gasp. The total area of New Jersey is 8,721 square miles, and the Fifth District 8,922.

So Al used the phrase, "larger than New Jersey" as part of the pitch.

Since this region has gained population more slowly than the suburbanizing north, following the decennial census, we had to add territory. The map shown here is likely to be the final configuration.

New to the District is the light blue at the top, which includes part of Fauquier as well as all of Rappahannock and Madison counties. A bit more of Henry County has been taken away and put in the Ninth, and the chunk of Brunswick north of I-85 has been added.

New Jersey, to the same scale.

So the area figures to be nearly 10,000 square miles. We're no longer just a little bit bigger than New Jersey, we're about the size of Vermont. But that somehow lacks sizzle. Maybe we should just say, a lot bigger than New Jersey.

The new Fifth District is somewhat more Republican than the previous. In 2009 they both gave McDonnell 62% vs. Deeds 38. But in 2008 the old configuration went for McCain by 50.6% vs Obama's 48.3. The new District would have shown McCain getting 52% and Obama 47.

(Dave Sagarin, January 30, 2012)