The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a ballot measure passed last month that would have allowed Democrats to pass a more favorable congressional map.
In a 4-3 ruling, the court said the state’s Democrat-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot.
“We hold that the legislative process employed to advance this proposal violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia,” the ruling read, according to Fox News.
“This constitutional violation incurably taints the resulting referendum vote and nullifies its legal efficacy,” it continued.
The ruling is a huge victory for Republicans in the redistricting battle heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
BREAKING: The Virginia Supreme Court strikes down voter-approved congressional redistricting plan, dealing a major blow to Democrats. https://t.co/kejAihjcUT
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 8, 2026
More from the Associated Press:
Democrats had hoped to win as many as four additional U.S. House seats under Virginia’s redrawn U.S. House map as part of an attempt to offset Republican redistricting done elsewhere at the urging of President Donald Trump. That ruling, combined with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision severely weakening the Voting Rights Act, has supercharged the Republicans’ congressional gerrymandering advantage heading into this year’s midterm elections.
Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee said the ruling was another sign of GOP momentum heading into the midterms.
“We’re on offense, and we’re going to win,” he said in a statement.
Don Scott, the Democratic speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, said Democrats respect the court’s opinion while noting that the voters of the state had approved of the new congressional map.
“We gave this decision to the voters — exactly where it belongs — and they spoke loud and clear,” he said in a statement. “They voted YES because they wanted to fight back against the Trump power grab.”
Legislative voting districts typically are redrawn once a decade after each census to account for population changes. But Trump started an unusual flurry of mid-decade redistricting last year when he encouraged Republican officials in Texas to redraw districts in a bid to win several additional U.S. House seats and hold on to their party’s narrow majority in the midterm elections.
California responded with new voter-approved districts drawn to Democrats’ advantage, and Utah’s top court imposed a new congressional map that also helps Democrats. Meanwhile, Republicans stand to gain from new House districts passed in Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee. They could add even more after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Voting Rights Act case, which has prompted some other Republican states to consider redrawing their maps in time for this year’s elections.
Virginia’s congressional delegation consists of 6 Democrats and 5 Republicans.
The congressional map Democrats attempted to pass would have created a likely 10-1 advantage.
BREAKING: The Virginia Supreme Court has struck down the VA 10-1 Democratic gerrymander, arguing it violated the VA Constitution.
Decision here: https://t.co/BsEq5RSeuQ pic.twitter.com/XLZNecIZBL
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 8, 2026
Fox News noted:
Republicans quickly sued to block the effort, prompting the state supreme court to hear oral arguments last month.
RNC chair Joe Gruters praised the ruling Friday, describing it on social media as a “HUGE WIN” for election integrity.
“This was a clear violation of the Constitution — that’s why the RNC stepped in to stop Democrats’ rigged maps and WON!” he said.
