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Virginia Voters Approve Mid-Decade Redistricting, Putting Democrats on Track for House Gains

The result now awaits a Virginia Supreme Court ruling.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks about Virginia's redistricting vote, at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
A voter leaves the polling station after casting his ballot at the Westover Library on April 21, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. Virginia voters will decide today on a statewide ballot question on whether to allow the Virginia General Assembly to redraw congressional districts which could affect how the state’s U.S. House districts are mapped in upcoming elections and shift political balance.
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Overview

  • The referendum, approved Tuesday with about 51.5% yes to 48.6% no, authorizes a one-time redraw of Virginia’s U.S. House districts before the next regular redistricting in 2030.
  • Democrats currently hold a 6–5 edge, and the preapproved map is projected to create a 10–1 Democratic tilt that could net the party up to four additional seats through the 2026 cycle.
  • The map’s fate remains uncertain because the state’s high court is reviewing GOP lawsuits that argue lawmakers broke procedural rules and used misleading ballot language when putting the amendment on the ballot.
  • Virginia’s vote shifts the national redistricting fight set off last year when President Trump urged GOP states to redraw maps, with Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Missouri boosting Republicans and California and now Virginia countering for Democrats, as Florida readies a special session next week.
  • The campaign drew nearly $100 million, much of it from nonprofits that do not disclose donors, and featured high-profile involvement from Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Gov. Abigail Spanberger, former President Barack Obama, and national party groups.