The Supreme Court of Virginia struck down a Democratic-backed referendum that aimed to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts ahead of the midterm elections, dealing a major setback to efforts to regain control of the U.S. House.
According to the court’s majority opinion, the referendum process violated Virginia’s constitutional requirement for an intervening general election between legislative approvals of constitutional amendments. The ruling means congressional maps adopted in 2021 will remain in place for November’s elections.
JUST IN: The Virginia Supreme Court has overturned the state's redistricting ballot measure, delivering a major setback to Democrats who hoped the new map would allow them to flip up to four congressional seats. https://t.co/W9VXJ60SQ4
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 8, 2026
Democrats had hoped the redistricting effort could help them gain as many as four additional House seats and offset Republican gains in other states. The measure narrowly passed with under 52% voter support and received heavy financial backing from Democratic groups, CNN reported.
President Donald Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social, calling it a “huge win” for Republicans and the country. Republican lawmakers also praised the ruling as a victory for election integrity and constitutional procedure.
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TIPP Staff
