The Virginia Supreme Court has struck down a new congressional map backed by Democrats, dealing a sharp blow to the party’s hopes of gaining seats in the 2026 midterm elections.
In a ruling released Friday, May 8, the court sided with Republican lawmakers and voters who challenged the process used to put the redistricting measure on the April 21 ballot.
The ruling means Virginia will retain its current 11 congressional districts for the next election cycle, which gives Democrats a slim 6-5 edge in the state’s U.S. House delegation.
The fight centered on a constitutional amendment that Democrats in the General Assembly pushed through in 2025.
It would have allowed the legislature to redraw congressional districts outside the normal 10-year cycle.
Voters narrowly approved the amendment last month, clearing a path for a map that analysts said could have flipped the state’s delegation to as many as 10 Democrats and 1 Republican.
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Republicans went to court and sued, arguing the legislature skipped required steps under Article XII of the Virginia Constitution.
That provision lays out a strict process for amending the state charter, including passing the measure in two separate legislative sessions, with an intervening general election.
Lower court Judge Jack Hurley in Tazewell County had already ruled the process flawed. The Supreme Court’s decision upholds that view and prevents election officials from certifying the April referendum results.2
During oral arguments in late April, justices questioned both sides on technical questions about timing, public notice, and what counts as a proper “election.”
Trump and Republicans claim the Virginia election was “rigged.”
Democrats argued they were acting within the law and that voters had the last word. Republicans condemned the move as a reckless power grab that ran afoul of clear constitutional limits.
President Donald Trump also reacted by claiming that the Virginia election was “rigged.”
“All day long Republicans were winning, the Spirit was unbelievable, until the very end when, of course, there was a massive ‘Mail In Ballot Drop!’ Where have I heard that before – And the Democrats eked out another Crooked Victory! Six to five goes to ten to one, and yet the Presidential Election in November was very close to a 50-50 split,” Trump said.
The new map, released earlier this year by Democratic leaders, carved up several Republican-held districts in Northern Virginia, central Virginia, and Hampton Roads.
It aimed to make four GOP seats more competitive or to make them safely Democratic. Analysts using 2024 and 2025 election data projected big gains for Democrats under the proposal.
House Democrats nationwide viewed Virginia as one of their best chances to claw back ground in the midterms.
The state’s shifting suburbs have trended blue in recent cycles, but the current map still includes several competitive districts that Republicans have defended successfully.
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Democrats on social media expressed disappointment, arguing that the court overruled the clear will of Virginia voters who supported the amendment.
The case occurs amid a wave of mid-decade redistricting battles across the country. Republicans in states like Texas have redrawn maps to their advantage without voter referendums.
Democrats in Virginia tried a different route by seeking voter approval, but ran into procedural hurdles.
What the ruling means for midterm elections
Ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections, candidates in both parties will now run in the existing districts.
That preserves toss-up or lean opportunities in places like the 2nd and 7th districts, where Republicans have held on despite Democratic strength in statewide races.
The decision also kicks the larger redistricting conversation down the road to the next census cycle.
Virginia voters previously approved changes to create a bipartisan redistricting commission, but the process has faced problems in past cycles.
Democrats will now need to defend their six seats more aggressively without the tailwind of friendly new lines. On the other hand, Republicans see a clearer path to holding or expanding their five.
