The Virginia Supreme Court dealt a blow to the Democratic Party by invalidating a voter-approved congressional redistricting plan. The decision undermines Democrats’ efforts to gain an advantage in the upcoming midterm elections against Republicans.
The court’s ruling, with a vote of 4-3, found that the state’s Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements by placing the constitutional amendment on the ballot for mid-decade redistricting. Though voters narrowly approved the amendment on April 21, the court’s decision nullified the result.
Justice D. Arthur Kelsey, writing for the majority, criticized the legislature for submitting the amendment in an unconventional manner, saying it compromised the integrity of the referendum vote.
Democrats aimed to secure up to four additional U.S. House seats with the redrawn map in Virginia to counteract Republican redistricting efforts championed by former President Donald Trump.
Trump hailed the court’s ruling as a “huge win” for the Republican Party in Virginia, while Richard Hudson of the National Republican Congressional Committee viewed it as a sign of GOP momentum leading into the midterms.
Democratic leaders, including Don Scott from the Virginia House of Delegates and Suzan DelBene from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, expressed disappointment in the court’s decision, citing the voters’ desire to resist what they called a “Trump power grab.”
The court’s majority critiqued the partisan nature of the redistricting process in Virginia. The justices noted that the new map could result in a disproportionately high number of Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation compared to the percentage of GOP voters.
The case didn’t focus on the districts’ shapes but rather on the legislative process used to authorize them. Disagreements arose over the timing of the General Assembly’s approval of the redistricting amendment and whether it complied with state constitution.
The Supreme Court ruled that the initial endorsement of the amendment occurred after early voting had begun, rendering it unconstitutional. The decision was based on the interpretation that the term “election” covers the entire voting period in Virginia, not just Election Day.
The ruling affirmed a previous decision by a judge in Tazewell County, and Chief Justice Cleo Powell dissented, arguing that the election period for considering the amendment excludes early voting.
The decision adds to the ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans over redistricting in various states ahead of the midterm elections.
