Democrats Advance New Congressional Maps in Virginia as Redistricting Battle Intensifies

Virginia’s Democrat-controlled Senate has escalated the nationwide redistricting fight, voting along party lines to advance new congressional maps that could drastically reduce Republican representation in the state. The 21-16 vote on Wednesday sets up a potential shift that would leave Republicans with just one viable district out of Virginia’s 11 congressional seats, down from the five they currently hold.

The move comes amid a broader national struggle over redistricting that gained momentum after President Donald Trump urged Texas lawmakers to push through map changes in July 2025. With control of the House of Representatives hanging by a mere two-seat margin, state legislatures across the country have been exploring ways to gain partisan advantages through redrawn districts.

“This partisan power grab is not reflective of Virginia,” said Rep. Rob Wittman, a Virginia Republican. “Virginia is a 6-5 congressional delegation: six Democrats, five Republicans. And now they want to go to 10 Democrats, one Republican — 92%. They’re going to disenfranchise most Virginians, if not all of them, that are Republican or independent.”

Democrats, however, view their actions as a necessary response to redistricting efforts initiated by Republicans in other states. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Virginia Democrat, defended the move, telling Fox News Digital, “You have to fight fire with fire. The voters that I’m talking to feel that we can’t just sit back and be victims of redistricting. I don’t think this would be happening unless [Trump] pushed for redistricting in Texas and other red states.”

Virginia’s redistricting effort still faces significant hurdles. The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that while redistricting consideration can continue, the court is still deliberating on whether the proposed maps are legally permissible. A complaint filed late last year challenges whether the reshuffling complies with Virginia’s constitutional requirements.

Unlike redistricting efforts in some other states, Virginia’s process will require a statewide constitutional referendum. This is necessary because Virginia’s constitution currently prohibits gerrymandering—the practice of drawing congressional districts to purposefully benefit a political party. Voters will decide on April 21 whether to “temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections.”

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger framed the referendum as empowering Virginians to have a voice in the national redistricting debate. “Virginia voters deserve the opportunity to respond to nationwide attacks on our rights, freedoms and elections… I trust Virginia voters to respond,” Spanberger said in a statement.

The Virginia redistricting battle highlights the escalating tensions between Republicans and Democrats over electoral maps across the country. Similar contests are playing out in Texas, California, and Florida, with both parties accusing the other of unfair practices.

Subramanyam pointed out what he sees as a key difference between Virginia’s approach and that of other states: “It will come down to the voters. One good thing in Virginia is that people will have a say and can vote on the referendum in April. Folks in Texas, like where my family still lives, didn’t have a choice.”

Wittman counters that Virginia’s situation is fundamentally different from Texas because of existing state law. “Each state has their own constitution as to how they put together their congressional districts. Virginia’s is very clear. A super majority of voters — 66% of the voters — said we want a bipartisan redistricting commission. That’s Virginia,” Wittman said, referring to the 2020 vote in Virginia that outlawed gerrymandering.

If implemented, Virginia’s map change alone could give Democrats a path to flipping control of the House in November, underscoring the high stakes of this redistricting battle in what promises to be a closely contested election year.