A Virginia judge on Tuesday ruled illegal a proposed constitutional amendment that would have let Democrats redraw the state’s congressional districts, dealing a setback to the party’s efforts to gain House seats. The decision came as Democrats advanced a new congressional map in neighboring Maryland that could flip the state’s only Republican House seat, illustrating different strategies in the national battle over mid-decade redistricting.
The Virginia and Maryland developments reflect a broader partisan struggle over congressional maps. President Donald Trump launched a push last summer to encourage Republican-controlled states to redraw districts to benefit the GOP, while Democrats in some states have pursued their own redistricting efforts to counter those gains.
Virginia’s Court Invalidation
Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. struck down the amendment on three grounds. He found that Virginia lawmakers failed to follow their own rules for adding the redistricting proposal to a special legislative session. The judge also determined that Democrats failed to approve the amendment before the public began voting in last year’s general election and failed to publish the amendment three months before the election, as required by state law.
“As a result, he said, the amendment was invalid and void,” according to court filings.
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott said in a joint statement with other Democratic leaders that the party would appeal the ruling. “Nothing that happened today will dissuade us from continuing to move forward and put this matter directly to the voters,” Scott said.
The state is currently represented in the House by six Democrats and five Republicans, from districts imposed by a court after a bipartisan redistricting commission failed to agree on a map following the 2020 census. Because the commission was established by a voter-approved constitutional amendment, lawmakers must revise the state constitution to redraw the maps. That process requires passing a resolution in two separate legislative sessions, with a general election sandwiched in between, before the amendment can be put to voters in a referendum.
Maryland Moves Forward, Despite Divisions
In neighboring Maryland, the state House committee advanced a new congressional map that could enable Democrats to defeat Andy Harris, the state’s only Republican House representative. Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, testified before the committee in person to urge its approval.
Moore compared Trump’s redistricting push to historical patterns of discriminatory housing practices. “They are doing everything in their power to silence the voices and trying to eliminate Black leadership — elected leadership — all over this country,” Moore said.
Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1 in Maryland and already hold a 7-to-1 advantage in the state’s U.S. House delegation. However, not all Democrats support the redistricting effort. Maryland State Senate President Bill Ferguson of Baltimore opposes the new map, pointing to a prior 2021 map that was ruled unconstitutional by a judge who called it “a product of extreme partisan gerrymandering.”
Ferguson said a majority of Democratic state senators also oppose redistricting now. “I understand that people have differences of opinion, but I don’t see that shifting here,” Ferguson said.
The National Picture
Trump launched a push last summer to encourage Republican officials to redraw maps to benefit the GOP, seeking to preserve a narrow House Republican majority despite electoral headwinds that typically favor the party out of power in midterms.
The redistricting battle has resulted in nine additional House seats that Republicans believe they can win in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio. Democrats hope to gain six seats in California and Utah, leaving Republicans with a net three-seat advantage under current calculations.
Republicans in other states are pursuing similar efforts. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced plans to call a special session on redistricting in April. Redistricting disputes remain under litigation in several states, with no guarantee that either party will ultimately win the seats they have redrawn.