📰 General · Associated Press
Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats' redrawn US House maps, giving Republicans a win - AP News
From Associated Press via USVI News: The Virginia Supreme Court has struck down a Democratic congressional redistricting plan that had won voter approval. The court’s 4-3 decision Friday marked a major setback for Democrats in a nationwide redistricting battle with Republicans ahead of the midter.
Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats’ redrawn US House maps, giving Republicans a win
A person votes in the Virginia redistricting referendum at Fairfax Government Center, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Fairfax, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
A person votes in the Virginia redistricting referendum at Lake Braddock Secondary School, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Burke, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
An election worker tears off “I Voted” stickers during the Virginia redistricting referendum at Fairfax Government Center, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Fairfax, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
State Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, center, speaks outside the Supreme Court of Virginia after arguments were heard in a redistricting-related case at the court in Richmond, Va., on Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
Attorney Matthew Seligman, representing Democratic state legislators, speaks with the media following a hearing on new congressional maps before the state Supreme Court in Richmond, Va., on Monday, April 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan, delivering another major setback to the party in a nationwide battle against Republicans for an edge in this year’s midterm elections.
The court ruled 4-3 that the state’s Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize mid-decade redistricting. Voters narrowly approved the amendment on April 21, but the court’s ruling renders the vote’s result meaningless.
Writing for the majority, Justice D. Arthur Kelsey wrote that the legislature submitted the proposed constitutional amendment to voters “in an unprecedented manner.”
“This violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void,” he wrote.
Democrats had hoped to win as many as four additional U.S. House seats under Virginia’s redrawn map as part of an attempt to offset Republican redistricting done elsewhere at the urging of President Donald Trump. Later Friday, Virginia Democrats said in a filing that they intended to file an emergency appeal of the state high court’s decision with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Friday’s ruling, combined with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that severely weakened the Voting Rights Act, has supercharged Republicans’ congressional gerrymandering advantage heading into this year’s midterm elections.
“Huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia,” Trump said about the decision on his social media account.
AP correspondent Haya Panjwani reports on a setback for Democrats in the ongoing national redistricting battle.
Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the ruling was another sign of GOP momentum heading into the midterms.
This article is republished through the USVI News affiliate desk. Reporting, analysis, and viewpoints are those of the original publisher and do not necessarily reflect USVI News.