Democrat’s Congressional Run After Redistricting Support Sparks GOP Backlash in Virginia

Virginia Republicans have launched a fierce critique against Democratic state lawmaker Dan Helmer, who they claim engineered a “power grab” by helping to push through congressional redistricting legislation before announcing his own candidacy for one of the newly created districts.

“I think it does look bad,” House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore told Fox News Digital. “The whole process looks terrible, because all it is a power grab. We feel the optics are bad.”

The Virginia GOP echoed these sentiments on social media, asserting that “Democrats are so corrupt that they’re anointing nominees from the very people who drew the maps.”

Helmer, a 44-year-old U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, announced his campaign Wednesday for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s newly drawn 7th Congressional District. This is one of four new left-leaning districts that would favor Democrats if voters approve an April referendum on a constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade redistricting.

As the House Democratic Caucus campaign chair and a delegate since 2020, Helmer played a significant role in developing the redistricting initiative last autumn. He has dismissed Republican criticisms, noting that he recused himself from the actual map-drawing process after the legislation passed through the legislature.

The controversy in Virginia represents the latest battleground in the ongoing national struggle over congressional maps ahead of November’s elections. With Republicans defending a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to reclaim control of the chamber.

Virginia Republicans had initially challenged the validity of the upcoming referendum, arguing that Democrats committed procedural errors when the legislature approved amendments to the state Constitution. A lower court initially ruled in the GOP’s favor last month.

However, the state Supreme Court recently authorized the ballot measure, which asks voters to transfer redistricting power from Virginia’s current non-partisan commission to the legislature through the 2030 election. Early voting on the referendum is scheduled to begin March 6.

The legal battles surrounding this issue continue despite the Supreme Court’s ruling on the referendum. Democrats are still defending their authority to redraw the maps, with potential arguments before the state Supreme Court still to come. Additionally, the Republican National Committee filed a new lawsuit this week attempting to block the April referendum.

In his campaign launch video, Helmer highlighted his “successful efforts to take on and win against Donald Trump,” positioning himself as an opposition figure to the former president.

The Virginia GOP responded critically to Helmer’s announcement, characterizing him as “a career loser who had to rig the game to have any hope of winning a congressional seat after he lost TWO primaries in 2018 and 2024.”

Virginia Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle added to the Republican criticism, telling Fox News Digital that the optics of “trying to gerrymander Virginia” are “not good.”

The redistricting efforts in Virginia exemplify the high-stakes battle for control of Congress, with both parties recognizing that these map revisions could ultimately determine which party controls the House in 2025. Similar redistricting struggles are playing out in several states across the country, with the potential to reshape the political landscape ahead of what promises to be a hotly contested election cycle.

The situation highlights the often contentious nature of redistricting processes nationwide, where accusations of gerrymandering and political self-interest frequently arise from both sides of the political spectrum. For Virginia voters, the April referendum will represent a significant decision about who should control the drawing of congressional boundaries in their state.