Voters in Virginia approved a redistricting plan as parties raced to gain central US policies
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Virginia voters approved a decade-long redistricting plan Tuesday that could boost Democrats' chances of winning four more US House seats in November's midterm elections.
A constitutional amendment with little voter support passes a bipartisan commission. The state Supreme Court is considering the legality of the plan — which would render poll results meaningless — but it's the latest in a flurry of events for several districts after President Donald Trump launched a national redistricting campaign last year by urging Republican officials in Texas to redraw districts.
Trump's goal was to help Republicans win more seats in the November election and hold on to a slim majority in the House in the face of political headwinds that often favor the party out of power during the midterm elections. Until this election cycle, congressional redistricting had only happened once a decade, after each census.
Trump appealed to Virginians on social media on Tuesday, saying No vote is needed to “SAVE YOUR COUNTRY!”
Democrats touted Virginia's redistricting ban as a response to Trump. “It's a step back from what other states are doing in trying to put Donald Trump in a congressional seat,” Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger said during an online meeting last week.
The “yes on redistricting” campaign ads featuring former president Barack Obama filled the air.
Republicans have vowed to continue the battle over Virginia's new map in court.
Two blocks from the White House27:33The way the midterms are shaping everything
Winning is a word US President Donald Trump likes to hear, and while the midterm elections are still months away, the November vote is sure to drive his decisions today. As the cost of living and gas continue to rise, the midterms are an opportunity for voters to assess whether Trump has followed through on his promise to put America first, given his administration's war with Iran and other activities that reach beyond America's borders. CBC Washington writers Paul Hunter, Willy Lowry and Katie Simpson bring us up-to-date on how the midterms influence the political calculus, what they're looking for and why the outcome of this vote is so important to Republicans and Democrats alike.
The Republicans' razor-thin margin is at stake
The party occupying the White House often loses heavily in midterm elections, as happened during Trump's first term as president in 2018, when Democrats gained 40 seats to regain control of the House. Trump's second administration, on the other hand, has seen a flurry of polls showing voter disapproval of his handling of the economy and mass deportation efforts.
Democrats need to pick up a few seats in November to wrest control of the House from Republicans, potentially allowing them to derail Trump's agenda or issue impeachment measures against the president or members of his administration.
After Texas sparked controversy by gaining five more House seats by redrawing its federal maps, California responded with one of its own. Andrew Chang breaks down how gerrymandering works and how it could affect the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections. Photos provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters and Getty Images
Currently, Republicans hold a 217-213 advantage, with only one independent caucus with Republicans. There are four vacancies due to resignations.
So far, Republicans believe they can win up to nine House seats in newly redrawn states in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. Democrats think they can win up to five seats in California, where voters approved a similar mid-decade redistricting effort last November, and one more seat under new court-ordered districts in Utah.
“As we saw in California, when voters have a voice, they reject Republican attempts to rig the system,” said House Representative Suzan DelBene of Washington, who chairs the congressional campaign committee, on Tuesday after the Virginia result.
In Virginia, Democrats currently hold six of the 11 US House seats in the 2021 state Supreme Court districts, after the joint commission failed to agree on a map based on the latest census data.
The new plan could help Democrats win up to 10 seats. Five seats in the proposed map are concentrated in the Democratic stronghold of northern Virginia. Updates in four other districts across Richmond, southern Virginia and Hampton Roads reduce the voting power of conservative blocs in those areas. And the redrawn district in parts of western Virginia includes three Democratic college towns to reduce some Republican voters.
As It Happened6:30Louisiana mayor says US Supreme Court case threatens black representation in Congress
A section of the Voting Rights Act that allows minorities to be fairly represented on US electoral maps is being challenged in the Supreme Court by Louisiana Republicans. At the center of the case is the small town of Mansfield, Louis. The city's mayor, Thomas Jones Jr., tells As It Happens host Nil Nil Köksal that the case is a slap in the face to him and other Black residents who have fought for decades just to vote.
Even after Virginia's vote, the redistricting arms race is far from over. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called a special session next week to consider redrawing the state's map, and the US Supreme Court is still considering a voting rights case in Louisiana that could allow Republicans in southern states to target more Democratic seats.
The push for redistricting is predicated on past voting patterns in states that will be held in November, but there is undoubtedly a level of unpredictability in the upcoming election that has not been seen in a long time. Already, 55 other House incumbents will not run for another two-year term, a list that includes 35 Republicans and 20 Democrats.
According to the Brookings Institution's tracking of Congressional figures, it represents a level of profit not seen since 1992.
