Virginia Supreme Court strikes down redistricting push in blow to Democrats
In the ongoing redistricting wars, Virginia was seen as an opportunity for Democrats to pick up as many as four U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterm elections.
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Campaign signage showing Virginia's current electoral map alongside the proposed electoral map at a Republican Party volunteer table outside a polling location at Burke Centre Library in Burke, Virginia, US, on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Graeme Sloan | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down the state's recently passed redistricting referendum, dealing a massive blow to Democrats who hoped to gain several seats from new House maps.
The redistricting ballot measure passed by three percentage points in late April in what was seen at the time as a major win for Democrats, who stood to gain as many as four seats from redrawn maps ahead of the November midterms.
The Virginia Supreme Court decision comes amid an ongoing partisan gerrymandering war and as Republican-led states across the South are working to redraw their House districts after a pivotal Supreme Court decision that weakened part of the Voting Rights Act.
"We respect the court. But we will keep fighting for a democracy where voters — not politicians — have the final say. Because in Virginia, power still belongs to the people," Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Don Scott, a Democrat, said in a statement.
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