The Virginia Supreme Court has struck down a congressional redistricting map approved by voters in a referendum last month, ruling that the Democratic-controlled Legislature failed to follow constitutional procedures when advancing the measure.
The proposed map would likely have favored Democrats, giving them four additional congressional seats and creating a projected 10-to-1 advantage over Republicans in the state’s U.S. House delegation.
The decision could strengthen Republican efforts to maintain control of the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of the midterm elections. Virginia’s redistricting battle is part of a broader national fight over congressional boundaries that intensified after President Donald Trump encouraged Republican-led states to redraw districts last year.
In its ruling, the Virginia Supreme Court sided with Republicans who argued that lawmakers did not properly follow the state constitution before placing the referendum on the ballot. A county judge had already blocked certification of the election results one day after the vote, calling the ballot language “flagrantly misleading.”
The ruling adds to growing Republican momentum in redistricting disputes nationwide. It follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that weakened a key section of the Voting Rights Act, making it easier for Republican-led states to redraw majority-black and majority-Latino districts that have traditionally supported Democratic candidates.
Several Republican-controlled states, including Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee, have already begun efforts to redraw congressional maps before the November elections, in some cases delaying primary elections to allow more time for redistricting.
Last year, Trump urged Texas Republicans to redraw congressional districts to target five Democratic incumbents in the U.S. House. In response, California Democrats redrew their own districts to challenge five Republican incumbents, prompting similar efforts in other states.
Virginia voters approved the Democratic-backed map in an April 21 special election by a margin of 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent, according to the Associated Press. The referendum was part of a complex legislative strategy designed to bypass a 2020 constitutional amendment that transferred redistricting authority to an independent bipartisan commission.
If Virginia’s map ultimately remains invalidated, Republicans could gain an advantage of up to 10 House seats nationwide, depending on the outcomes of ongoing redistricting efforts in states such as Louisiana, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Republicans currently can afford to lose only two net seats in November to retain control of the House.
Redistricting traditionally occurs once every decade following the U.S. census to account for population changes. However, the latest wave of redistricting efforts by both Republican- and Democratic-led legislatures has been driven largely by partisan goals.
The legal fight intensified after the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, with additional states signaling plans to pursue aggressive partisan redistricting ahead of the 2028 elections.
Under Virginia law, a constitutional amendment must be approved by two consecutive legislatures with an election occurring between the two votes before it can be placed before voters.
Democratic lawmakers first approved the amendment in October, shortly before the November state election. After gaining additional seats in that election, Democrats passed the amendment again in January and scheduled the referendum for April.
Republicans challenged the process in court, arguing that early voting had already begun before the amendment’s initial approval, meaning there was no true intervening election. They also alleged lawmakers failed to follow additional procedural requirements.
Trump celebrated the decision.
“Huge win for the Republican Party, and America, in Virginia. The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander,” he posted on Truth Social.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said in a statement she is “disappointed in the decision” and her focus “will be on ensuring that all voters have the information necessary to make their voices heard this November in the midterm elections because in those elections we—the voters—will have the final say.”