RICHMOND, Va. β The Virginia House of Delegates, controlled by Democrats, completed the first of several steps Wednesday that could allow for a redrawing of Virginia's congressional maps before the 2026 midterms.
It is part of a larger partisan battle on the issue as Democratic-led states respond to Republican states redrawing their maps after a call from President Donald Trump to give his party a better chance at holding on to its slim majority in the midterms.
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Monday special session adjourns as Va. Dems move to redraw congressional map
The General Assembly has been meeting since Monday as part of the 2024 Special Session that never adjourned and the first two-and-a-half days have been a procedural process to expand the scope of the session to allow a redistricting amendment to be discussed.
That concluded shortly afternoon Wednesday and allowed the House to approve a resolution that gives lawmakers the option to redraw Virginia's 11 congressional districts, which are currently 6-5 in favor of Democrats.
Districts are currently drawn by a bipartisan commission that was approved by voters in a 2020 referendum. If the commission, which is made up of equal parts Republicans and Democrats, cannot reach an agreement it is sent to the Supreme Court of Virginia to decide (which is what happened and what led to Virgina's current maps). The districts are to be redrawn every ten years after the census.
Because this process was approved by a constitutional amendment, it requires another one to change it.
That requires lawmakers to approve a resolution, have a House of Delegates election, pass it a session after that, and then voters will approve it or reject in a referendum.
Democrats have said this year's election can serve as the intervening election and are trying to complete the first process before then.
The language in the resolution they approved in the House would allow lawmakers to redraw the congressional maps "in the event that any State of the United States of America conducts a redistricting of such state's congressional districts." The resolution also includes a sunset clause, removing that ability on October 31, 2030.
Republican lawmakers have raised several issues throughout including that this undoes the current bipartisan commission, that they should not react to what other states are doing, and it is too late to follow the process as early voting is already underway for this election and therefore cannot count as the intervening election.
Democrats said they are not abolishing the commission, but just giving themselves an option until the next planned redistricting in the 2030s and added that their hand is being forced to respond to this happening in Republican states.
Wednesday afternoon there was finally a chance for members of the public to weigh in before lawmakers during a committee hearing. There were more people speaking in-person against the amendment, but the committee chair, a Democrat, said there were more online comments in favor of it.
"Virginians have made it clear time and again that we support reproductive freedom. But, these undemocratic efforts to suppress the vote and rig the 2026 midterms are a threat to our freedoms and the Planned Parenthood mission to care no matter what. We must fight back while our rights are on the line," said Jamie Lockhart, Executive Director, Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, in favor of the amendment.
"If the constitution is capable of being temporarily bent to the whims of partisan power politics -- what use is it. This effort severely weakens the integrity of our constitutional system of governance. And I pray that this body steps back from the banks of the Rubicon," said Ryan Mehaffey, Spotsylvania County Commonwealth's Attorney, against the amendment.
After about an hour of speeches on the House floor, the amendment was approved.
The amendment now goes to the Senate, also controlled by Democrats. They are expected to have a final on Friday.
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