OAN Staff Cory Hawkins
1:00 PM – Thursday, January 22, 2026
Virginia Democrats scheduled a statewide vote that would allow lawmakers to temporarily draw a new House map as the party looks to do so ahead of the November midterms, mirroring a nationwide push by Republicans to redraw maps mid-decade in states like Texas and North Carolina.
On Wednesday, Democrats moved swiftly to propose new legislation shifting the state from a narrow 6-5 district edge to a potential 10-1 edge, as several Republican-led states have already moved to redistrict in a bid to give the GOP an edge for 2026. They argued this is a necessary step to counter partisan gerrymandering elsewhere and maintain balance in Congress.
The special election would allow lawmakers to temporarily redistrict mid-decade by October 2030 and bypass the state’s redistricting commission. The constitutional amendment was passed both before and after the 2025 elections.
Lawmakers have introduced the ballot language for the initiative the party plans to submit to voters.
If approved, the ballot would read: “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?”
Both chambers must pass the legislation, which must then be signed by Democrat Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), before the special election can be scheduled.
The legislation is more than likely to pass due to the Democrats’ majority.
This would advance the Democrats toward redrawing the Old Dominion state’s congressional lines before the midterms. The party claims proposed maps are being discussed, allowing voters to analyze what sort of map lawmakers might set into stone.
In addition to the ballot measure, the special election is slated for April 21, 2026, providing Virginians an opportunity to decide on the amendment. This move is specifically designed to be activated if states like Florida proceed with mid-decade redistricting not mandated by courts or the census, allowing Virginia to respond in kind and address perceived imbalances in national representation.
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