The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan, handing Republicans a major victory in the escalating nationwide battle over House maps ahead of the midterm elections.
The ruling invalidates a constitutional amendment that Virginia voters narrowly approved on April 21 and that Democrats hoped would reshape four congressional districts in their favor. The court found that the Democratic-led legislature failed to follow the proper constitutional procedures when rushing the amendment onto the ballot.
The decision is a significant setback for Democrats as both parties intensify efforts to gain an advantage in the House through redistricting. The fight has become even more contentious following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Voting Rights Act ruling, which has reshaped the legal landscape surrounding election maps across the country.
Writing for the majority, Virginia Justice D. Arthur Kelsey said Democrats “submitted a proposed constitutional amendment to Virginia voters in an unprecedented manner” that violated state law.
“This violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void,” the court said in its opinion.
The now-invalidated measure would have authorized a mid-decade redraw of Virginia’s congressional districts, a move Republicans argued was politically motivated and unconstitutional.
With the ruling, Republicans now hold a stronger position in the broader national redistricting battle as both parties prepare for a fiercely contested midterm cycle where control of the House could hinge on only a handful of districts.
Democrat leaders defended the proposal as an effort to create fairer representation, while Republicans blasted the process as an attempt to engineer favorable political outcomes through procedural shortcuts.
The court’s decision immediately halts implementation of the new maps and leaves Virginia’s current congressional districts in place unless lawmakers pursue a new redistricting effort that complies with constitutional requirements.
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