The Virginia Supreme Court handed Democrats a major victory Friday by allowing them to move forward with a redistricting referendum that could reshape the state’s U.S. House delegation from five Republicans and six Democrats into one Republican and ten Democrats. Yes, from competitive to conveniently lopsided — all in the name of “fairness,” of course.
Democrats rushed to push the referendum despite legal challenges and previous rulings questioning its legality, hoping to get it approved in time for an April 21 special election. Early voting begins March 6, meaning the clock is already ticking on what critics call a mid-decade power grab.
If passed, the referendum would strip authority from Virginia’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and give the state legislature the power to redraw congressional maps. The commission itself was created by referendum in 2020 and has only been used once. When it failed to agree on new maps, the state Supreme Court stepped in and completed the process. Apparently, Democrats decided that “nonpartisan” was a little too nonpartisan for their taste.
Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, both Republicans and co-chairs of Virginians for Fair Maps, vowed to continue fighting the move.
“Though we firmly believe this referendum is illegal, the court has allowed it to move forward before final judgment,” they said. “There will be further legal action on this matter. All across Virginia, voters are speaking out against this brazen political power grab that allows politicians in Richmond to choose their own voters. It’s wrong, it’s illegal, and it will fail.”
In a strange twist, the court allowed the special election to proceed but plans to hear the case afterward, creating three possible outcomes: the referendum fails and the case fades away; the referendum passes and the court sides with Democrats; or the referendum passes and the court sides with Republicans. That last option is considered unlikely, since it would mean overturning a statewide vote — and no court enjoys that kind of political heat.
Still, Republicans are not backing down. State House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore said the GOP will make its case directly to voters, calling the proposal unfair, unprecedented, and likely illegal. State Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle added that Democrats took an unprecedented step last October to illegally push through a constitutional amendment at the last minute and said the courts already agreed the process was flawed.
Beyond the courtroom, Republicans face an urgent need for a massive get-out-the-vote effort across Virginia. Because while Democrats are trying to redraw the map, Republicans are focused on turning out voters.
And that’s the silver lining: gerrymandering only works if people stay home. If Virginians show up, this power grab can still be stopped — proving once again that the ballot box, not political scheming, is where real authority lives.
