A party-line vote in the state Senate moves a proposed constitutional amendment toward voters, opening the door to redrawn congressional districts that could expand Democratic representation.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Virginia Democrats moved closer Friday to redrawing the state’s congressional maps after the state Senate approved a constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to take control of the redistricting process, a step Republicans warn could significantly reshape the state’s political balance ahead of the midterm elections.
The amendment passed the Senate along party lines and follows earlier approval in the House of Delegates by a 62–33 vote. The proposal will now go before voters in a spring special election, likely to be held in April, for final approval.
If adopted, the amendment would allow the General Assembly to redraw congressional district boundaries, a power that currently rests with a bipartisan commission created after voters approved a prior constitutional change aimed at eliminating partisan gerrymandering. Democrats argue the new move is necessary to respond to redistricting efforts in Republican-led states.
Democrats are set to control all branches of state government when Abigail Spanberger is sworn in as governor on Saturday, giving the party unified authority as the amendment advances toward the ballot.
Republicans sharply criticized the effort, calling it a partisan power grab that undermines voters’ earlier decision to remove map-drawing authority from lawmakers. State Sen. Mark Peake, a Republican, said the motivation behind the proposal is political opposition to President Donald Trump.
“Because you hate the man that’s in the White House, and that’s really the only thing that’s behind this … you want to blunt his power, then [Democrats are] going to politically gerrymander and take away the rights of the people,” Peake told Politico.
Republican strategist Michael Young echoed those concerns, saying Democrats have already violated the state’s governing framework to advance the proposal. “Virginia Democrats broke the law and violated the Virginia Constitution to get this far,” Young told Politico. “We will fight them in any available venue if they continue to pursue this lawless power grab.”
Virginia currently has 11 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, with Democrats holding six and Republicans holding five. Lawmakers have been presented with two draft maps under the proposal. One would give Democrats a political edge in nine districts while protecting Republican Reps. Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith. Another would give Democrats an advantage in 10 districts, protecting only Griffith.
In addition to the redistricting question, voters in the special election would also be asked to decide on several other constitutional changes, including removing a state ban on same-sex marriage, codifying access to abortion, and restoring voting rights to individuals with felony convictions who are no longer incarcerated.
Redistricting typically occurs at the beginning of each decade following the census, but recent years have seen several states revisit their maps outside that cycle. Last summer, Texas redrew its congressional districts in an effort to help Republicans gain five additional seats in the U.S. House. California voters approved a new map projected to benefit Democrats by as many as five seats.
Other states, including North Carolina and Ohio, have redrawn maps to favor Republicans, while redistricting efforts stalled in Kansas and Indiana. Maryland lawmakers are also considering changes that could add another Democratic-leaning congressional seat.
The outcome of Virginia’s special election could determine whether lawmakers regain direct control over the state’s congressional boundaries and set the stage for a major shift in representation ahead of the next federal elections.
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