A Virginia court has blocked a voter-approved redistricting plan that could have given Democrats four additional U.S. House seats. Judge Jack Hurley Jr. ruled the referendum invalid following a lawsuit by the RNC. The plan, which passed 51.5% to 48.5%, was part of a national partisan battle over mid-decade redistricting initiated by Donald Trump. Virginia's Attorney General plans to appeal the decision, which Republicans hailed as a major victory.
Virginia congressional redistricting referendum
- ▪On April 21, 2026, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment for a mid-decade congressional redistricting plan
- ▪The amendment temporarily bypasses a bipartisan redistricting commission that Virginia voters approved in 2020
- ▪The referendum passed by a narrow margin of 51.5% to 48.5%, according to the Virginia department of elections
- ▪The new map could have changed Virginia's 11-seat congressional delegation from a 6-5 Democratic advantage to a 10-1 edge
- ▪The plan was designed to give Democrats an opportunity to win as many as four additional U.S. House seats
Trump mid-decade redistricting push
- ▪In response to Republican efforts, Democrats pursued similar mid-decade redistricting in states including California and Utah
- ▪The national battle over redistricting began after President Donald Trump urged Republican-led states like Texas to redraw congressional maps
Court challenges to referendum
- ▪The Virginia Supreme Court is also considering the legality of the plan in a separate case that could render the referendum results meaningless
- ▪Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones announced his office plans to appeal the court's decision
- ▪On April 22, 2026, Judge Jack Hurley Jr. of the Tazewell County Circuit Court blocked the referendum, ruling it invalid
- ▪The Republican National Committee filed the lawsuit that led to the block, arguing the referendum's timing and phrasing were illegal
Democratic campaign efforts
- ▪Democrats argued the new map was a necessary step to counteract Republican gerrymandering in other states
- ▪Former President Barack Obama was featured in television ads urging Virginians to vote "yes" on the referendum
- ▪Virginia's Democratic Governor, Abigail Spanberger, backed the effort to redraw the state's congressional maps
Republican opposition campaign
- ▪The Republican National Committee called the court's decision a "major victory" and accused Democrats of deceiving voters
- ▪President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson urged Virginians to vote "no" on the referendum
- ▪Former Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin and former state Attorney General Jason Miyares led the GOP's campaign against the ballot initiative
Partisan gerrymandering debate
- ▪Republicans argued the Democratic plan was an "unconstitutional power grab" that would create a "severe partisan gerrymander."
- ▪The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could impact the Voting Rights Act and majority-minority districts
- ▪The amendment specifies that redistricting responsibilities would return to the bipartisan commission after the 2030 census
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