Virginia to vote on Democrat-favored redistricting after lawmakers advanced plan | Virginia
Virginia lawmakers on Friday approved a measure that could pave the way for Democrats to redraw the state’s congressional maps and add four Democratic-leaning seats.
The legislature sent a constitutional amendment to voters that would allow lawmakers to redraw boundaries this year and bypass the commission that is supposed to be in charge of drawing district boundaries. Democrats currently represent six of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts and have said they would pursue a plan that would give them preference in nine or 10 of the state’s congressional districts.
Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2021 that creates a bipartisan panel to determine the state’s districts. But because the panel could not reach any consensus, the Virginia Supreme Court drew regions of the state instead.
The constitutional referendum election is expected to be held in April. Virginia Democrats, who took control of the state legislature and governor’s office last year, have not yet announced their map proposals but have said they will do so before the referendum.
The move is one of Democrats’ best chances to add seats in their favor amid an unusual mid-decade run to redraw congressional districts. At Donald Trump’s urging, Texas, Missouri and North Carolina restructured their maps to add up to seven GOP seats. Redistricting in Ohio could also add a few more GOP seats. Florida Republicans are preparing to redraw maps to add seats later this year.
Democrats responded by redrawing the map in California, where they were able to add as many as five Democratic seats. A court decision in Utah also gave Democrats a chance to win a seat there. Virginia remains one of the largest states left for Democrats to reshuffle districts and add seats.
“As Republicans intensify their efforts to steal seats and undermine our elections, Virginia Democrats are answering the call to protect our democracy. Voters will now have the power to shape the future direction of the nation and how they are represented in Congress,” Heather Williams, chair of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the party’s arm focused on state legislative races, said in a statement.
