The ruling raises big new questions about whether Democrats will be as successful as they hoped in taking back the House.
Republicans are trailing in Virginia’s redistricting referendum. Here’s how to do it
Republicans have launched a redistricting battle to win more seats in the midterm elections. But Republicans could lose if Virginia’s votes survive legal challenges.
WASHINGTON – The Virginia Supreme Court has overturned new voter-approved maps that favored Democrats in the midterm elections, dealing a seismic shift for Democrats six months after November.
The court held that the new map was illegal because it compressed the timeline of proposed amendments to the state constitution too quickly.
The May 8 ruling struck at the heart of President Donald Trump’s plan to retake the House of Representatives in response to Republican gerrymandering and tie up Congress during the remainder of President Donald Trump’s second term. Buoyed by the prospect of picking up four more federal seats, Democrats are increasingly bullish about their ability to wrest Congress from full Republican control.
The 4-3 decision cast new doubts on that optimism. Republican lawmakers, including National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, wasted no time celebrating the victory.
“This victory is another sign that Republicans are gaining momentum heading into November,” Hudson said in a statement. “We’re going to keep attacking and we’re going to win.”
What decision did the Virginia judge make?
Democratic state legislators presented their decisions to voters in an “unprecedented manner,” Judge D. Arthur Kelsey argued in the court’s majority opinion.
“This constitutional violation hopelessly taints the resulting referendum and nullifies its legal validity,” Kelsey wrote, later adding, “While the Commonwealth is free to do the right thing for the right reasons, the rule of law requires that it be done in the right way.”
The ruling dramatically shifts the political winds heading into the midterm elections, but it does not affect other states embroiled in national redistricting battles, such as Tennessee and Texas.
Zachary Schermele is a Congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
