Virginia Democrats finished the first step to potentially redraw the state’s congressional district maps as states around the country race to gain an advantage ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
The state Senate approved on Friday the constitutional amendment that already cleared the House.
The General Assembly will need to pass it again in January, and then it can go to the voters for final approval in a special election, likely in April.
The resolution would allow the General Assembly to draw new congressional maps, giving the majority the control to favor their party, which will likely be Democrats.
This national trend started in July when President Donald Trump called on red states to gerrymander their districts to help Republicans in the 2026 midterms.
Blue states are responding in kind. But Virginia Republicans are bashing Democrats because just five years ago, Virginians overwhelming supported the creation of a commission to redraw maps.
This has been one of the key tension points between the parties.
“We are witnessing a deliberate abandonment of principle at the moment it’s become inconvenient,” State Sen. William Stanley said.
“We face a hard choice right now: maintaining our commitment to fair redistricting while watching Republicans gerrymander their way to permanent power, or we need to acknowledge that when only one side plays by the rules, the rules become unilateral disarmament,” State Sen. Scott Surovell said.
Here’s where Virginia fits into the national picture
A map shows in red the red states that approved new maps. Red shading shows red states that are in the process. Blue shading shows blue states that are in the process.
Virginia is 6 to 5. Democrats have a one-seat advantage, and many would agree that’s a fairly accurate representation of where Virginia voters stand, percentage wise.
Some have suggested there’s a way to draw the maps to swing the Democrats’ advantage to 10 to 1, but 8 or 9 Democrats is probably a safer bet.
But does it matter in the grand scheme of things? Right now, it appears Republicans are in position to pick up at least seven seats across the U.S. because of redistricting in other states. A couple of red states could push that number to 10 or more.
California is in position to potentially add five more to the blue side. If Virginia does the same, we could be looking at a net one- or two-seat difference out of 435 seats.
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