Politics

Supreme Court Bluntly Swats Down Virginia Dems’ Power Grab

[Wikimedia Commons/Public/Sunira Moses, CC BY 3.0, <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en>]

The Supreme Court on Friday shut down Virginia Democrats’ latest attempt to save a statewide referendum implementing a redrawn congressional map siloing Republicans into one of 11 districts.

The unsigned order left in place the Virginia Supreme Court’s previous ruling which invalidated the voting referendum Democrats narrowly won. The referendum would have allowed the commonwealth to redraw congressional lines mid-decade, giving Democrats the chance to pick up four seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. The order, which did not include any dissents, leaves Virginia’s current congressional map from 2021 in effect.

“The Supreme Court of the United States has now joined the Supreme Court of Virginia in choosing to nullify an election and the votes of more than three million Virginians,” Democratic Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger wrote in a Friday post to X.

Enough with the false flag operation that you are desperately pushing @SpanbergerForVA

You told Virginia voters last fall that you wouldn’t redistrict our state and silence millions of voters, but you lied and tried to do it anyway.

You knew from the very start that your scheme… https://t.co/uoPWBEDUSO

— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) May 16, 2026

Spanberger also argued voters “made their voices heard” by pushing back against President Donald Trump, who she said claimed was “entitled” to additional Republican seats in Congress.

The US Supreme Court denies Virginia’s bid to revive their 10D-1R congressional map. No public dissents were given.

6D-5R congressional map is still in effect. https://t.co/nUOFvMwf4g pic.twitter.com/VUbgMw9gOZ

— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) May 16, 2026

The Virginia Supreme Court ruled May 8 to invalidate the map approved by voters in a 4-3 decision, declaring the referendum “null and void.” The court found the Democrat-controlled state legislature violated legal procedure by initiating the amendment process after Virginians had already begun casting ballots for the 2025 general election.

The doomed Virginia map came amid a national redistricting battle between Republicans and Democrats, as both parties seek the majority in a hitherto closely divided U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats pushed the Virginia referendum as part of an effort to counter GOP redistricting gains while preserving their path to retaking the lower legislative chamber.

Democrats also heavily poured financial resources into the failed redistricting push in Virginia. Virginians for Fair Elections, the primary dark money group fundraising for the Democrat-friendly redistricting effort, netted more than $64 million, with nearly $40 million coming from a spending group aligned with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Enough with the false flag operation that you are desperately pushing @SpanbergerForVA

You told Virginia voters last fall that you wouldn’t redistrict our state and silence millions of voters, but you lied and tried to do it anyway.

You knew from the very start that your scheme… https://t.co/uoPWBEDUSO

— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) May 16, 2026

“Wisely, the Supreme Court of the United States has confirmed the judgment of the Supreme Court of Virginia,” Virginia GOP Chairman said, according to The Associated Press, adding that the decision will “once and for all put to rest the Democrats’ effort to disenfranchise half of Virginia.”