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53m ago

Jeffries Escalates Mid‑Decade Redistricting Push With Big Virginia Spend and Pressure in Maryland

The House Democratic leader is channeling major money into a Virginia ballot drive.

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks to press as members of the U.S. House of Representatives head back to Washington on Tuesday, after a 53-day break, for a vote that could bring the longest U.S. government shutdown in history to a close, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 11, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon/File Photo
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries talks to reporters at the US Capitol on January 30.
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, right, speaks during a press conference alongside Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, in Severna Park, Maryland, on January 20.
The Maryland flag is seen in Annapolis, Maryland, on April 7, 2025.

Overview

  • Jeffries told CNN he is prepared to devote tens of millions of dollars to an April ballot initiative in Virginia, after House Majority Forward linked to him committed $5 million.
  • Virginia Democrats are pursuing a plan that could erase as many as four Republican-held House seats, potentially shifting the delegation from 6–5 to 10–1.
  • Jeffries is intensifying pressure on Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson to permit a mid‑cycle redraw targeting the state’s lone GOP seat, a move Ferguson has resisted over likely court defeats.
  • Some Maryland Democrats warn a new map could backfire in state courts, and GOP Rep. Andy Harris argues Republicans could even gain a seat if a redraw is struck down.
  • Republicans have already enacted new maps in four states targeting nine Democratic seats, with one Missouri seat tied up in litigation and a major Florida effort still expected.