Virginia Democrats released a proposed congressional map intended to win four additional U.S. House seats and potentially give the party 10 of the state’s 11 districts. A January court ruling found the proposed constitutional amendment to redraw the state's lines illegal; Democrats are appealing and the case likely will reach the Virginia Supreme Court. The map’s adoption for the midterms is uncertain while litigation continues, and the plan has drawn sharp criticism from Republican-backed groups.
Virginia Democrats Unveil Map Aiming To Flip Four Seats — Legal Fight Could Decide If It’s Used
FILE - The state and U.S. flags fly over the Virginia State Capitol as the 2024 session of the Virginia General Assembly gets underway, Jan. 10, 2024, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Virginia Democrats on Thursday released a proposed congressional map designed to win four additional U.S. House seats and potentially deliver Democrats 10 of the state’s 11 districts. The plan is intended to blunt Republican strength in conservative areas while improving Democratic prospects in targeted districts — but its use in the midterm elections faces significant legal uncertainty.
What The Map Would Do
The proposal redraws several districts to reduce Republican margins in conservative regions and bolster Democratic chances where the party hopes to flip seats. Attached election data from recent cycles suggest the map could plausibly produce a 10-1 Democratic majority in Virginia’s delegation if it were adopted and in effect for the upcoming elections.
Legal Hurdles
In January, a Virginia judge ruled that the Democrats’ proposed constitutional amendment to redraw the state’s U.S. House lines was illegal, blocking plans to present the amendment to voters in an April referendum. Democrats are appealing that decision, and the dispute appears likely to reach the Virginia Supreme Court. Because of that litigation, it remains uncertain whether the new map could legally be used for the midterm elections.
Political Context
Virginia’s current congressional delegation stands at six Democrats and five Republicans under district lines imposed by a court after a bipartisan state commission failed to agree on new maps following the 2020 census. Democrats argue that redistricting is needed to counter Republican-led redraws elsewhere and to "level the playing field" after recent GOP efforts in states such as Texas.
"These are not ordinary times and Virginia will not sit on the sidelines while it happens," said State Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas at a Thursday news conference alongside House Speaker Don Scott. "We made a promise to level the playing field, and today we’re keeping our promise."
Reactions
Republicans and allied groups have sharply criticized the plan. Mike Young of Virginians for Fair Maps, a group backed by Republicans, called the proposal "an illegal, hyper-partisan gerrymander drawn in backrooms hidden from the public" that "completely disregards common sense." Virginia Republicans have pointed to the 2020 voter-approved constitutional amendment that created a redistricting commission aimed at ending partisan legislative gerrymandering.
National Picture And What’s Next
Redistricting disputes are playing out across the country. Republicans claim combined gains of nine seats in states including Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, while Democrats point to potential pickups in states such as California and Utah. Virginia Democrats had hoped to offset a roughly three-seat net disadvantage created by other states’ maps. Meanwhile, Maryland lawmakers have advanced a separate map that could jeopardize the state's only House Republican, though that map also faces hurdles.
A congressional primary in Virginia is currently scheduled for June. With appeals and potential court rulings still pending, the fate of the Democrats’ proposed map — and any seats it might deliver — remains unresolved.
Reporters: Robertson reported from Raleigh, N.C.; Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.
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