US EditionWhy Virginia Democrats are calling a special General Assembly session before Election Day
Democrats aim to gain two or three House seats by amending the state constitution to redraw maps before the 2026 midterms in response to GOP efforts nationwide.
- Virginia House Speaker Don Scott called members to a special session in Richmond this year to redraw congressional maps, set for 4 p.m. Oct. 27.
- Responding to Republican-led redistricting in Texas and Missouri, Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly say the move counters President Donald Trump's push for partisan redraws.
- Virginia currently has six Democrats and five Republicans in its U.S. House delegation, and redrawing could produce two or three additional Democratic-leaning seats as Democrats need three net pickups in 2026 to take House control.
- With critics mobilizing, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears declared `any change would require a constitutional amendment that must pass the legislature twice and then go to voters.`
- If approved this session, the change must pass again in January and then voters must approve any constitutional change, while lawmakers warn the process could extend past next week's election with unclear details.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Ideologies clash before General Assembly special session
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia General Assembly gaveled in for a special session on Monday, Oct. 27 where its slim Democratic majority is poised to consider redrawing Virginia's congressional districts -- not everyone is on board. As in California, Democrats are working to weaken President Trump's pressure on the Texas Legislature to grow its Republican delegation. Other than redistricting, which is under scrutiny by Republicans, Virginia …
First day of special session ends with one key piece missing: Text of the redistricting amendment
This story was updated to clarify the actions of the state Senate. The Virginia General Assembly kicked off a special session on Monday aimed at redrawing the commonwealth’s Congressional map through a constitutional amendment, but the bill’s text has not yet been made available by Democrats who are championing the effort. The special session comes on the heels of similar efforts in Texas, California and North Carolina and a handful of other st…
General Assembly gavels in for Democrat-led congressional redistricting
Virginia Democrats are trying to pass a constitutional amendment to redraw congressional maps to pick up seats. As the General Assembly gaveled in for a special session Monday, Virginia's Republican congressional lawmakers were critical of the effort.
Virginia Power Play: Democrat Speaker’s Push to Redraw Congressional Districts
Why is the Democrat speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates calling a special session of the Virginia General Assembly now, a week before Election Day? Speaker Don Scott and the Democrats are trying to begin a multiyear process to redistrict the commonwealth’s 11 congressional districts to create more Democrat-leaning districts for the 2026 congressional midterms before they potentially lose the House of Delegates in next week’s elections. >>…
Virginia Democrats plan to redraw state's congressional districts
A major political battle is unfolding in Virginia as Democrats in control of the General Assembly open a special session to redraw the state’s congressional districts—a move Republicans call a blatant power grab.
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