Virginia Supreme Court Upholds Redistricting Vote Certification Block

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VA Redistricting Vote — Source: The Washington Post / Getty

Last week, Virginia voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment that would implement a new congressional map, giving Democrats a 10-1 advantage in House seats. While it looked like a victory for Democrats nationwide, on Tuesday, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld a lower-court ruling blocking certification of the vote.

WUSA reports that Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley ruled last week that the voter referendum was invalid and blocked the certification of the vote from being certified. Hurley has repeatedly tried to stop the Virginia redistricting effort, though most of his prior rulings had been dismissed by appeals courts. The Virginia Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments to determine whether or not the redistricting process was conducted illegally.

Virginia was a surprise entrant into the nationwide redistricting war. The Virginia Grand Assembly announced the redistricting effort last October, shortly before the state’s November elections. As Virginia’s redistricting effort requires an amendment to the state’s constitution, it had to go through several steps to be approved. The Grand Assembly had to vote on the effort twice, both before and after an election, before putting it to a public vote.

Virginia Republicans have argued that the redistricting effort was illegal because early voting had already taken place before the Grand Assembly passed the first vote. State Democrats have countered that “before an election” means before the designated Election Day. While the Virginia Supreme Court allowed the voter referendum to proceed before it ruled, it’s still unclear where the court stands on the legality of the redistricting effort.

The upcoming decision by the Virginia Supreme Court will be one of the most pivotal in the ongoing redistricting battle. As it stands, the Virginia map gives Democrats an advantage to take back control of the House during the upcoming midterms. Though a redistricting effort in Florida is looking to change that.

According to CBS News, the Florida House advanced a map that would create four new seats favoring Republicans. While Republicans hold a two-thirds majority in the state legislature, there were some no votes in the House, and a Republican state Senator has already spoken out against the map. The map will likely pass, but it will undoubtedly face legal pushback. Ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis revealing the map, Florida Republicans voiced concern that redrawing the maps during a particularly hostile time for the GOP could stretch their voters thin and make incumbents more vulnerable.

While it does feel like we’re entering a new era of politics in which politicians are choosing their voters rather than voters choosing their representatives, it must be noted that President Donald Trump is historically unpopular. Trump won the 2024 election due to his promises not to start any new wars and to lower prices. We’re just over one year into his second term, and Trump has started a new war that has dramatically increased fuel prices.

As a result, Trump’s polling has continually trended downward. So while Republicans could ultimately have the advantage on paper, depending on how the Virginia Supreme Court rules, we can’t discount just how unpopular Trump, and by extension, the GOP, are heading into the midterms.

Virginia Supreme Court Upholds Redistricting Vote Certification Block was originally published on newsone.com