Dem-controlled Virginia legislature passes measure to advance redistricting, likely eliminating GOP seats

On Friday, the Democratic-controlled Virginia state Senate approved a constitutional amendment that would allow the legislature to redraw Virginia’s US House districts, following a similar vote earlier in the week in the House of Delegates. The action sends the proposal to be decided by voters on a ballot measure in the spring.

If voters approve the amendment, responsibility for drawing congressional maps would shift from the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission to the legislature through 2030. The change would give Democrats, who currently control both chambers, influence over the state’s political boundaries during a critical election cycle.

Virginia now joins a growing list of states engaged in gerrymandering as both parties attempt to gain an advantage before the November midterms. Democrats argue the move in Virginia is a necessary response to Republican-led efforts elsewhere.

The Virginia Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene accused the GOP of manipulating the process, saying, “Donald Trump and Republicans are doing everything they can to rig the midterms in their favor through unprecedented mid-decade gerrymandering,” and added that “Virginians — not politicians — will now have the chance to vote for a temporary, emergency exception that will restore fairness, level the playing field, and stand up to extremists seeking to silence their voices.”

The Virginia Senate Republican Caucus argued that Democrats were advancing “a partisan gerrymandering amendment to entrench their party in power,” and the Republican National Committee (RNC) labeled the effort a “power grab.”  

RNC press secretary Kiersten Pels said, “This is just the most recent example of Democrats’ multi-decade campaign to gerrymander in every state where they gain power,” adding, “This is exactly why red states are fighting back to level the playing field after years of states like Illinois, New York, and California drawing their districts to disenfranchise Republicans.”

Democratic lawmakers in Virginia are expected to release a proposed map later this month, and a new group, Virginians for Fair Elections, has launched to advocate for the ballot measure.

The Virginia fight is part of a broader national fight between the two parties to gain an advantage for the upcoming midterm elections. Texas became the first major test case, with Trump pushing for the redistricting move.