Virginia Supreme Court strikes down new gerrymandered map

Virginia Supreme Court strikes down state's new gerrymandered map in blow to Democrats The Virginia Supreme Court has struck down a new congressional map designed to favor Democrats as multiple states continue redrawing U.S. House districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. In a 4-3 opinion on Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the Democratic-controlled Virginia legislature “submitted a proposed constitutional amendment to Virginia voters in an unprecedented manner that violated the intervening-election requirement in Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia.” The majority opinion was written by Justice Arthur Kelsey, an appointee of former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner, who wrote that the commonwealth's arguments are "wholly unprecedented in Virginia’s history." The amendment, which voters narrowly approved in an April 21 referendum, authorized replacing the state’s current congressional map with one designed to favor Democrats.