ROANOKE, Va. – Political experts say there could be a lot of new faces in Richmond in January due to redistricting.
“I will have a pretty unreasonable amount of seniority for a sophomore,” Wren Williams a House Delegate said.
Williams has served the community in Richmond for two years and if re-elected, he says he will have more experience than some of his counterparts.
“That’s an interesting situation I find myself in the House of Delegates,” Williams said.
Virginia Tech Politics Professor Dr. Karen Hult said there will be significant change with elected leaders coming to Richmond in January.
“30 percent of the House of Delegates will also be new,” Williams said.
Hult said because of redistricting, Hult said 40 percent of the state Senate will be new.
She said 75 percent of the current members of the House of Delegates have been there less than 12 years; 37 of the members have been there less than four years.
“A lot of new faces because of elections but also after redistricting,” Hult said. “Means some struggles within the parties for who will be chairs of the committee, where things will play out in the legislature itself.
Hult says new faces in Richmond could mean new ideas.
“Others may say this is great we need change, like a new plug, we want to see change in the way things are done,” Hult said. “It will make a difference depending on what one wants to happen.”