Virginia Court Stops Redistricting Efforts Before Midterms
A Virginia judge has instructed the Democratic Party to suspend attempts to adjust the state’s legislative boundaries until after the midterm elections, according to various reports.
Judge Jack Hurley Jr. from Tazewell County Circuit Court stated that the Democratic Party did not adhere to the proper procedures for approving a constitutional amendment meant to facilitate last-minute changes to the state’s boundaries.
Hurley also pointed out that he couldn’t utilize currently open sessions since early voting had already started, as noted in reports.
Last October, Democrats in the Legislature passed their initial redistricting bill during a special session initiated by former Governor Glenn Youngkin. The lawmakers revisited this matter in January, settling on a plan to present it to voters before the midterm elections.
However, Hurley maintained that the special session was not permissible because early voting for the previous election was underway, which meant that, according to state law, the Legislature should only pass a constitutional amendment before or after an election. He further stated that the amendment had not been properly reviewed in state court.
In his order, Hurley emphasized, “There is no other reasonable conclusion than that the election began on the first day of voting (September 19, 2025) and ended on November 4, 2025.” He clarified that the redistricting amendment could not be acted upon until after the upcoming general election for the House of Representatives.
Earlier this month, Virginia Democrats reconvened and passed a constitutional amendment aimed at allowing lawmakers to temporarily redraw state districts by October 2030.
Currently, Democrats hold a 6-5 advantage in Virginia’s congressional delegation, but they are hoping to bolster that to a 10-1 or 9-2 margin come November.
In a report from early January, Breitbart News highlighted that the Virginia Senate had successfully approved a constitutional amendment for redrawing the state’s U.S. House map.
