Virginia Democrats advance redistricting amendment

The Virginia House of Delegates advanced a constitutional amendment on Wednesday that would allow the state to redraw its congressional lines if another state does mid-cycle redistricting, moving one step closer toward entering a national redistricting fight that will have consequences for the 2026 midterms. 

Democrats advanced the constitutional amendment in a 51-42 vote after it passed out of committee earlier in the day. The amendment would allow the Old Dominion to redraw its House map if another state redraws its lines for a reason that isn’t part of the mandated redistricting process, which happens after every 10-year U.S. Census or in response to litigation over its present map.

The constitutional amendment, if passed, would offer a limited timeline for lawmakers to be able to do mid-cycle redistricting: They would only be allowed to change their congressional lines until Oct. 31, 2030. 

The constitutional amendment was quickly taken up in the state Senate, where the Virginia Senate Privileges and Election Committee passed it in an 8-6 vote. It now goes before the full state Senate for consideration, where it is expected to pass. Democrats hold majorities in both chambers. 

Top GOP leadership in the Virginia state legislature filed a lawsuit on Monday, which argues that the Virginia House of Delegates does not have constitutional authority over redistricting and takes issue with how the state legislature convened over the issue. 

Republicans sought to temporarily halt the state legislature from moving forward with advancing their constitutional amendment while the merits of their case were being heard, though a circuit court judge declined that request, according to Cardinal News. However, the judge has set a Nov. 5 hearing date for a declaratory judgement trial. 

Meanwhile, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R), who’s running a tight reelection bid against Democrat Jay Jones, issued an opinion on Monday arguing that Democrats wouldn’t be able to pass their constitutional amendment in time for the 2026 election.

Virginia Democrats are looking to quickly tee up a constitutional amendment before voters ahead of the 2026 midterms. The goal for Democrats is to pass the constitutional amendment ahead of Election Day next week and quickly pass it again early next year during the start of the new legislative session before setting up a vote before Virginians soon afterward, according to The New York Times.

Texas became the first state to fire off the first salvo in a broader redistricting war before next year’s midterms after much pressure from the White House and national Republicans. Republicans in Missouri and North Carolina have also passed new congressional lines while California Democrats are poised to see new lines with their redistricting ballot measure, Proposition 50, expected to pass next week. 

The redistricting war has become a tit-for-tat, with both parties trying to neutralize potential gains in 2026 as the House represents Democrats’ best chance at flipping one of the chambers of Congress.