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Virginia Court Rejects Democratic Map as GOP States Rush Redistricting
The ruling leaves Virginia’s current maps in place and adds pressure on states to redraw districts before the 2026 midterm elections.
On Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down a Democratic congressional redistricting plan in a 4-3 decision, leaving the state's previous maps in place for this year's elections.
Multiple GOP-controlled Southern states pushed this week to redraw maps following an April 29 Supreme Court decision that struck down a Louisiana congressional district with a Black majority.
Tennessee enacted a law Thursday creating a new House map that carves up the only majority-Black district held by a Democrat in Memphis; South Carolina's GOP-dominated legislature proposed new maps.
Democratic-Dominated California responded with a map intended to bring them five new seats, contributing to a redistricting shift creating 14 potential House seats for Republicans and six for Democrats.
Republicans currently hold 217 House seats to Democrats' 212, but the redistricting flurry challenges provisions of the Voting Rights Act as the 2026 midterm elections approach with uncertain results.
Weekly News, Politics, and Libertarian podcast from Reason Magazine
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Weekly News, Politics, and Libertarian podcast from Reason Magazine
Gavin Newsom's Free Diaper Disaster
The Reason Roundtable discuss the Virginia Supreme Court striking down Democrats’ ‘lobster’ redistricting map on procedural grounds and its implications for upcoming elections