Virginia Advances Measure To Allow Mid-Decade Redistricting, Setting Up Voter Referendum

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that would permit mid-decade congressional redistricting, sending the question to a public referendum likely to be held in April. The Democratic-led state Senate approved the measure on a party-line vote Friday, following a similar step by House Democrats earlier in the week.

Lawmakers say a specific map that would favor Democrats has not yet been released, but officials pledged that voters will be shown any proposed map before casting ballots.

“Because this is a Virginian-led process and we’re asking for their permission, voters will be able to see the maps prior to their vote,” Democratic Del. Cia Price said.

Why This Matters

The move comes amid a broader, nationwide scramble over mid-decade redistricting that intensified after former President Donald Trump urged Republican officials to pursue map changes that could create more favorable U.S. House districts. That push has produced new Republican-leaning maps in states including Texas, Missouri and North Carolina, while Ohio also enacted a House map seen as friendlier to GOP candidates. On the Democratic side, California voters approved new House districts benefiting Democrats, and a Utah judge adopted a map that advantages Democrats.

Nationally, parties estimate the mid-decade battles have produced about nine additional seats Republicans believe they can target and six additional seats Democrats claim — a net advantage of roughly three seats for the GOP. Many of those maps are being challenged in court, so outcomes remain uncertain.

Virginia Debate

In Virginia, the proposal sparked heated debate. Supporters framed the amendment as a defensive response to Republican mapmaking in other states. Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said when Republican-led states “rig elections in their favor, our commitment to fairness that we made — that our voters made — effectively becomes unilateral disarmament.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, center, arrives to deliver his State of the Commonwealth Address during the opening of the 2026 session of the General Assembly at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Opponents, including Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, argued that partisan redistricting is the wrong approach. McDougle pointed to recent decisions in Indiana and Kansas where Republican leaders abandoned or rejected similar efforts, saying those actions showed restraint.

Currently, Virginia is represented in the U.S. House by six Democrats and five Republicans. Those districts were drawn by a court after a bipartisan redistricting commission failed to agree on a map following the 2020 census. That commission was created after voters approved a 2020 constitutional change intended to curb legislative gerrymandering.

What Would The Amendment Do?

The proposed constitutional amendment would permit the General Assembly to redraw congressional maps mid-decade but only through 2030. It also contains trigger language: Virginia lawmakers would be allowed to take such action only if other states take similar steps. In January, Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger expressed support for the Democratic effort broadly but did not endorse a specific map, noting the ultimate decision rests with Virginia voters.

Next steps: Lawmakers say a specific map will be released before the referendum. Voters will then decide whether to approve the temporary change that could reopen congressional boundaries in Virginia during this decade.

Associated Press writer John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed. Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.