Memorandum Opinion and Order

The Jefferson County Commission and two of its commissioners, Patricia Noland and Dale Manuel, both of whom reside in Jefferson County, West Virginia, and each proceeding in his or her individual capacity, filed this suit on November 4, 2011, challenging the congressional apportionment enacted by the State of West Virginia following the 2010 census. In their Complaint, the plaintiffs name as defendants Secretary of State Natalie E. Tennant, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, State Senate President Jeffrey Kessler, and Speaker Richard Thompson of the West Virginia House of Delegates, each in his or her official capacity. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2284, this three-judge district court was duly appointed by the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to consider the plaintiffs' claims. The trial of the matter took place at The Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse in Charleston on December 28, 2011, and it is now ripe for decision.