A Virginia circuit court judge has ruled that state Democratic leaders have violated constitutional procedures in attempting to engage in retaliatory redistricting efforts before the midterm elections.
Virginia Democrats had sought to create a constitutional amendment allowing them to redraw congressional district maps in order to gerrymander the state to flip 5 current Republican seats to Democrats.
Tazewell County Circuit Judge Jack S. Hurley Jr. ruled on Tuesday that Democrats had made procedural mistakes including missing notice requirements, nullifying related legislative moves and the improper expansion of a budgetary special session.
This means that Democratic lawmakers will not be allowed to put the measure before Virginia voters until after this year’s midterm elections.
NBC reports that amendments to the Virginia state constitution must be passed by the legislature twice, with a general elections between them.
Judge Hurley ruled that the lawmakers’ first passage of their redistricting amendment took place during early voting for the 2025 election, which nullified their first approval of the measure.
Virginia voters had previously amended the state’s constitution to put a redistricting commission in charge of the state’s congressional district maps, meaning that redrawing those maps would require more than just passing a new law.
The attempt to redistrict the commonwealth, mid-decade, could have shifted enough congressional seats in Virginia to give Democrats a 10-1 advantage over the GOP.
The now-blocked redistricting effort was part of a plan to push through 4 constitutional amendments in Virginia by way of an April 21, 2026 election that, in addition to congressional redistricting, also sought to restore voting rights for felons, to uphold abortion rights and to remove outdated language regarding same-sex marriage from the state constitution.
Virginia Democrats have vowed to appeal the judge’s ruling to the state supreme court.
Virginians for Fair Elections spokesperson Keren Charles Dongo said:
“This is a clear attempt to confuse voters and block them from having a say. Republicans court-shopped for a ruling because litigation and misinformation are the only tools they have left.”
Redistricting efforts are also underway in other states, including Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina with Florida also considering drawing new maps.
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