The Virginia state Senate passed a constitutional amendment on Friday that, if approved by a statewide referendum, would allow the Democrat-controlled legislature to redraw the state’s congressional maps before voters head to the polls this fall. This move could hand the Democrats four new seats in Congress.
The Commonwealth is divided into 11 congressional districts. Democrats currently hold six of those seats, and the GOP, five. If the Democrats’ redistricting efforts are successful, that balance would be transformed into a 10–1 supermajority, all but erasing Republican representation.
The measure cleared the state House on Wednesday, putting the decision into the hands of Virginia voters. An April referendum is expected, and approval would lock in a new congressional map through 2030.
Who can fault the Democrats for trying to maximize their power? They know exactly what’s at stake. Four new seats could mean the difference between being shut out of power for another two years or taking back control of the House.
Republican lawmakers came out swinging over this development, but they should keep in mind that while Democrats have long benefited from gerrymandering, it was Trump who initiated the most recent round by pressuring Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to redraw his state’s congressional map last summer.
Fox News reported that the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus accused the state Senate Democrats of passing “a partisan gerrymandering amendment to entrench their party in power.”
In a statement to Fox, Republican National Committee national press secretary Kiersten Pels wrote:
This is just the most recent example of Democrats’ multi-decade campaign to gerrymander in every state where they gain power. This is exactly why red states are fighting back to level the playing field after years of states like Illinois, New York, and California drawing their districts to disenfranchise Republicans.
In a Friday statement, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene called the move:
A critical step in giving Virginia voters the opportunity to ensure they have fair and equal representation in Congress.Donald Trump and Republicans are doing everything they can to rig the midterms in their favor through unprecedented mid-decade gerrymandering. Virginians — not politicians — will now have the chance to vote for a temporary, emergency exception that will restore fairness, level the playing field, and stand up to extremists seeking to silence their voices.
In light of this bold move by the Virginia General Assembly, independent journalist Greg Price noted that former Vice President Kamala Harris won the state by six points in 2024. Yet, he pointed out that Republican lawmakers in Indiana — where President Donald Trump won by 20 points in 2024 — refused to redraw their map “because he was ‘too mean’ to them.”
Price is not exaggerating. In December, Indiana’s Republican-led Senate — despite enjoying a supermajority — rejected calls from the Trump administration and allied groups to redraw the state’s congressional map. The decision likely cost the GOP two additional House seats that could have made a big difference in the upcoming midterms.
According to PBS, “in firmly delivered remarks,” Republican state Sen. Greg Goode said at the time that “some of his constituents objected to seeing their county split up or paired with Indianapolis. He expressed ‘love’ for Trump but criticized what he called ‘over-the-top pressure’ from inside and outside the state.”
State Sen. Jean Leising (R) told ABC News she voted against the bill because the “vast majority” of her constituents opposed it.
“I had my legislative assistant keep a count every day of how many calls and emails came in … only about 8% supported redistricting in my district, so it was an easy decision for me to be a no on this bill.”
Leising said that after speaking at her grandson’s school on Veteran’s Day, he later told her, “All my friends and I got negative texts about you.”
She later received a bomb threat, telling ABC that while it did not intimidate her, the immense pressure from all directions had upset her. “I don’t know why, if the proponents wanted this bill to pass, why they didn’t use some kindness, why they didn’t use some explanation as to why it should pass.”
Kindness? Really? Would Democrats in Virginia — or anywhere else — give the “kindness” with which they were treated a second thought? They wouldn’t and they didn’t.
Ahead of the vote, Trump criticized Indiana senators who opposed a redrawn map, and threatened to support primary challengers against them. He warned state lawmakers on Truth Social: “If Republicans will not do what is necessary to save our Country, they will eventually lose everything to the Democrats.”
But his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Politics is ultimately about power, not posturing. Democrats in Virginia understand that, and they’re acting accordingly. Republicans elsewhere may prefer moral lectures and self-restraint — and in Sen. Leising’s case, kindness — but elections are decided by maps, margins, and math. Those unwilling to play the game shouldn’t be surprised when they keep losing it.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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