Overview
- Virginia voters, in Tuesday’s closely fought referendum, approved a constitutional amendment that lets the legislature use a new congressional map for the 2026 elections.
- The plan is projected to shift the delegation from a 6–5 split to roughly 10–1, giving Democrats a chance to net up to four seats and forcing several Republican incumbents to run on far less favorable turf.
- The Virginia Supreme Court is still weighing lawsuits after a Tazewell County judge ruled the process illegal for violating special‑session rules, voting before an intervening election, and failing to publish the amendment three months in advance.
- The amendment temporarily bypasses Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission until after 2030, allowing the Democratic‑led General Assembly’s preapproved lines to take effect if courts allow.
- The vote is a key turn in a national redistricting fight spurred by President Trump’s push for mid‑decade maps, with Florida’s special session next week and a pending U.S. Supreme Court Voting Rights Act ruling that could further reshape the House map.