Democratic Virginia state Sen. Lamont Bagby claimed Thursday that watching “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “The Andy Griffith Show” and “The Waltons” as a child taught him about rural America.
A judge in Tazewell County, Virginia, declared Virginia’s redistricting referendum that passed with just 51.5% of the vote Tuesday was unconstitutional, citing both procedural violations and ruling that the state’s Democratically-controlled Legislature exceeded its authority. Bagby, who represents parts of Henrico County and the state capital, Richmond, argued during a floor debate on the referendum that he understood rural Virginians because he had watched classic TV shows depicting rural culture.
“And listen, I almost took issue with the other side saying that we don’t understand [rural America],” Bagby said during the floor debate. “But I grew up watching ‘The Waltons,’ I grew up with Opie [the son of a sheriff played by Andy Griffith], I even watched the ‘Dukes of Hazzard.’ I think I know a little bit about rural America.”
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Bagby’s comments drew laughter from fellow state senators. “And when I think about why we’re here, we’re not just here, I’m not just here for Theo [Huxtable from ‘The Cosby Show’], I’m not just here for [‘Diff’rent Strokes’ characters] Arnold or Willis. I’m here for Opie, John Boy, Blossom, Topanga,” Bagby continued.
Some experts said that the maps voted on during the referendum, that were supported by Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, would effectively disenfranchise rural voters by connecting disparate parts of the state to the heavily-Democratic Northern Virginia region, while the vast majority of counties in the commonwealth voted against the amendment.
The ballot question placed before voters said, “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?”
Democrats believed after Spanberger’s landslide victory over former Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears in November 2025 that the party had openings to target messaging to rural Americans by campaigning against President Donald Trump’s unpopular tariffs and by focusing on health care, Politico reported in December 2025. However, rural areas overwhelmingly voted against Tuesday’s redistricting ballot initiative.
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