Virginia Poised to Let Democratic-Led Legislature Redraw U.S. House Districts

The Virginia state senate is expected to pass a constitutional amendment on Friday that would allow the legislature, which is in Democratic hands, to redraw congressional districts ahead of the November midterm elections. If voters then approve the amendment in a referendum planned for this spring, Democrats could be in position to gain as many as four more seats in the U.S.

House, the article said. Democratic leaders said a proposed new map would be made public by the end of the month and that the referendum would most likely take place in April; Democrats currently hold six of the state's 11 seats. The push is part of a wider nationwide fight over gerrymandering, the article said, noting that President Trump pressured Republican-controlled states to draw new districts and that Republican legislators in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina quickly approved new maps.

Congressional maps are usually redrawn once every 10 years, the article added, and other states have taken steps to shift redistricting power, including California’s Proposition 50. The article said Virginia’s amendment must be passed by the legislature twice, with an election intervening, before going to voters.

The General Assembly passed the measure once last October; Democrats described that version as a “narrow and temporary” exception.

Key Topics

Politics, Virginia General Assembly, Virginia Referendum, U.s. House, Democrats, Gerrymandering