Dark money floods Virginia redistricting vote ahead of Tuesday election

Tens of millions of dollars, much of it dark money from undisclosed donors, have flowed into Virginia this year ahead of Congress’ vote Tuesday on a redistricting referendum; If passed, this referendum could give Democrats a significant boost in their fight for the U.S. House majority in this year’s midterm elections.

If successful, the ballot measure would give the Democrat-controlled Virginia legislature, instead of the state’s current nonpartisan commission, temporary redistricting power through the 2030 elections. That could lead to a 10-1 advantage for Democrats in Virginia’s congressional delegation, down from the current 6-5 lead.

The referendum, which follows President Donald Trump’s mid-decade push for redistricting in Republican-led states that is rare but not unheard of, could give Democrats an advantage as they try to regain control of the House of Representatives from Republicans who hold a fragile majority.

Supporters of redistribution significantly outspent and outspent groups opposing the referendum; Virginians aligned with Democrats for Fair Elections raised roughly three times as much money as Virginians aligned with the GOP for Fair Maps. But despite Democrats’ funding advantage, polls show support for the ballot initiative is only slightly ahead of opposition due to a surge in early voting that ends Saturday.

SOROS-SUPPORTED DARK MONEY GROUPS WON THE REDISTRIBUTION OF VIRGINIA

“They outnumbered us three to one. They raised over $70 million. But it’s still a close vote,” former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, one of the leaders of the GOP effort to defeat the referendum, told Fox News Digital on the eve of the election.

Much of the funds raised by both parties came from so-called “dark money” from nonprofit public policy groups known as 501(c)(4) organizations, which are not required to disclose their donors. That’s according to a Fox News Digital review of state campaign finance records and records from the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), which tracks public spending in Virginia.

“This speaks to the importance of this referendum,” David Richards, chair of political science at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia, told Fox News Digital, highlighting the flow of outside money into the state.

Richards said the financing “also shows how national money can cloud statewide elections.” “Virginians need to decide what is good for them, and instead, this becomes a national issue that detracts from what is good for Virginia.”

REPUBLICANS ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM ABOUT DEMOCRATS ‘GAINING POWER’ IN REDISTRIBUTED ELECTIONS

Former President Barack Obama urged Virginians to vote “yes” on the redistricting measure in a video message released as early voting began, saying it would help “level the playing field.” (Barack Obama/X)

Given the green light in a 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision, nonprofit public policy groups can spend unlimited funds without disclosing their donors; This often masks large contributions from corporations or wealthy individuals.

But dark money has long been under attack for a lack of transparency, with voters not knowing who is funding the political messages they see. It has been criticized as a threat to democracy for allowing wealthy interests to influence elections and policies.

“That’s because you don’t know where the money actually comes from,” Chris Galdieri, a professor in the political science department at Saint Anselm College, told Fox News Digital. “Dark money cannot even be traced to a specific interest. This means voters do not know what the donors’ motives are.”

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A person walks to vote in the Virginia redistricting referendum at Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy in Alexandria, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

On the “yes” side, House Majority Forward, which, as the primary nonprofit political wing of House Democrats, is not required to disclose its donors, contributed nearly $40 million.

Other groups that invested big money in Democrats’ efforts to pass the referendum were fed millions of dollars. George Soros-supported black money groups.

The “no” effort, meanwhile, received $9 million from a group tied to tech billionaire Peter Thiel, a megadonor to the Republican Party and a longtime Trump ally.

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Although it is often frowned upon, the use of dirty money in politics is accelerating. Dark money groups spent more than $1.9 billion in the 2024 election cycle.

“Any rational person can look at the maps in Virginia and understand that this is a political game being played. This is for the benefit of one party, not the people,” said veteran Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams. “What do they care if they’re financing their efforts with dirty money? This is just another example of political gamesmanship in this process.”

Fox News’ Alec Schemmel and Leo Briceno contributed to this report.