Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a Democratic redistricting plan that could allow the party to pick up as many as four new seats in the midterm elections, NBC News projects.

The special election is a major victory for Democrats as they seek to gain control of the narrowly divided House this fall. Democrats have now won statewide votes in California and Virginia to redraw congressional maps as part of a mid-decade redistricting arms race that began last year when President Donald Trump urged GOP-led states to alter their district lines.

Republicans had hoped they could insulate their three-seat House majority, but the result of the redistricting back-and-forth may end up being close to a wash.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/virginia-voters-approve-democrats-redistricting-plan-giving-party-midt-rcna340895

The party of democracy is working to disenfranchise half the state.

1 minute ago, TedG said:

The party of democracy is working to disenfranchise half the state.

Yes. What they're doing is wrong. Of course, this didn't start with the Democrats, did it. In fact, it started with the Republicans long before Trump called for redrawing congressional districts to benefit Republicans this year.

This is only possible because the right wingers on the Supreme Court has ruled that such practices don't violate the Constitution. For a long time that worked to the benefit of Republicans. Now, they discovered that such actions when taken by Democrats are wrong.

Supreme Court Rules Partisan Gerrymandering Is Beyond The Reach Of Federal Courts

In a 5-4 decision along traditional conservative-liberal ideological lines, the Supreme Court ruled that partisan redistricting is a political question — not reviewable by federal courts — and that those courts can't judge if extreme gerrymandering violates the Constitution.

The ruling puts the onus on the legislative branch, and on individual states, to police redistricting efforts.

"We conclude that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts," Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the conservative majority.

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/27/731847977/supreme-court-rules-partisan-gerrymandering-is-beyond-the-reach-of-federal-court#:~:text=Republicans%20managed%20to%20both%20maximize,tactics%20in%20their%20redistricting%20efforts.

1 minute ago, Alan Zweibel said:

Yes. What they're doing is wrong. Of course, this didn't start with the Democrats, did it. In fact, it started with the Republicans long before Trump called for redrawing congressional districts to benefit Republicans this year.

This is only possible because the right wingers on the Supreme Court has ruled that such practices don't violate the Constitution. For a long time that worked to the benefit of Republicans. Now, they discovered that such actions when taken by Democrats are wrong.

Supreme Court Rules Partisan Gerrymandering Is Beyond The Reach Of Federal Courts

In a 5-4 decision along traditional conservative-liberal ideological lines, the Supreme Court ruled that partisan redistricting is a political question — not reviewable by federal courts — and that those courts can't judge if extreme gerrymandering violates the Constitution.

The ruling puts the onus on the legislative branch, and on individual states, to police redistricting efforts.

"We conclude that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts," Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the conservative majority.

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/27/731847977/supreme-court-rules-partisan-gerrymandering-is-beyond-the-reach-of-federal-court#:~:text=Republicans%20managed%20to%20both%20maximize,tactics%20in%20their%20redistricting%20efforts.

1 minute ago, Alan Zweibel said:

Yes. What they're doing is wrong. Of course, this didn't start with the Democrats, did it. In fact, it started with the Republicans long before Trump called for redrawing congressional districts to benefit Republicans this year.

This is only possible because the right wingers on the Supreme Court has ruled that such practices don't violate the Constitution. For a long time that worked to the benefit of Republicans. Now, they discovered that such actions when taken by Democrats are wrong.

Supreme Court Rules Partisan Gerrymandering Is Beyond The Reach Of Federal Courts

In a 5-4 decision along traditional conservative-liberal ideological lines, the Supreme Court ruled that partisan redistricting is a political question — not reviewable by federal courts — and that those courts can't judge if extreme gerrymandering violates the Constitution.

The ruling puts the onus on the legislative branch, and on individual states, to police redistricting efforts.

"We conclude that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts," Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the conservative majority.

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/27/731847977/supreme-court-rules-partisan-gerrymandering-is-beyond-the-reach-of-federal-court#:~:text=Republicans%20managed%20to%20both%20maximize,tactics%20in%20their%20redistricting%20efforts.

The Virginia Democrats are responsible for their own actions. The new governor said she was against gerrymandering during her campaign. But, she is doing what the DNC told her to do.

11 minutes ago, TedG said:

The party of democracy is working to disenfranchise half the state.

4 minutes ago, TedG said:

The Virginia Democrats are responsible for their own actions. The new governor said she was against gerrymandering during her campaign. But, she is doing what the DNC told her to do.

Lets have a look at why Virginia decided to hold this special election.

Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade congressional redistricting, a move expected to dramatically reshape the state’s political map and potentially shift its congressional delegation from a closely divided 6-5 split to a heavily Democratic-leaning 10-1 advantage.

By 8:50 p.m., the measure passed by a vote of 50.7-49.3% out of 2.5 million ballots cast, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, clearing the way for lawmakers to redraw district lines outside the traditional once-a-decade census cycle.

Supporters argued the amendment gives Virginia flexibility to respond to aggressive redistricting efforts in several Republican-led states at the urging of President Donald Trump, while critics warned it opens the door to partisan gerrymandering and undermines long-standing constitutional guardrails.

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said the results reflect what he described as a reaffirmation of democratic principles, arguing that voters “answered a question about the nature of our democracy … in favor of the people.” 

He said Virginians acted in response to what he called “unprecedented gerrymandering in other states,” adding that “fairness won” and “accountability won,” and that the outcome shows “the people will decide.”

Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said the vote delivers “a massive blow to the GOP plot to rig control of Congress,” praising Virginia voters for what she described as answering a national call to protect democracy. 

At the same time, she cautioned that “the fight is far from over,” arguing that redistricting battles will continue to play out in state legislatures and that upcoming elections will be critical in determining who draws maps and holds power in the years ahead

4 minutes ago, TedG said:

The Virginia Democrats are responsible for their own actions. The new governor said she was against gerrymandering during her campaign. But, she is doing what the DNC told her to do.

The Virginia Democrats are responsible for their own actions. They are fighting against the Republicans who started this battle. Ignoring the context, which is what you are doing, is obviously disingenuous.

1 minute ago, marin said:

Lets have a look at why Virginia decided to hold this special election.

Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade congressional redistricting, a move expected to dramatically reshape the state’s political map and potentially shift its congressional delegation from a closely divided 6-5 split to a heavily Democratic-leaning 10-1 advantage.

By 8:50 p.m., the measure passed by a vote of 50.7-49.3% out of 2.5 million ballots cast, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, clearing the way for lawmakers to redraw district lines outside the traditional once-a-decade census cycle.

Supporters argued the amendment gives Virginia flexibility to respond to aggressive redistricting efforts in several Republican-led states at the urging of President Donald Trump, while critics warned it opens the door to partisan gerrymandering and undermines long-standing constitutional guardrails.

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said the results reflect what he described as a reaffirmation of democratic principles, arguing that voters “answered a question about the nature of our democracy … in favor of the people.” 

He said Virginians acted in response to what he called “unprecedented gerrymandering in other states,” adding that “fairness won” and “accountability won,” and that the outcome shows “the people will decide.”

Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said the vote delivers “a massive blow to the GOP plot to rig control of Congress,” praising Virginia voters for what she described as answering a national call to protect democracy. 

At the same time, she cautioned that “the fight is far from over,” arguing that redistricting battles will continue to play out in state legislatures and that upcoming elections will be critical in determining who draws maps and holds power in the years ahead

I live in VA. I know exactly why it happen.

1 minute ago, Alan Zweibel said:

The Virginia Democrats are responsible for their own actions. They are fighting against the Republicans who started this battle. Ignoring the context, which is what you are doing, is obviously disingenuous.

There is no context. Virginia has nothing to with Texas.

1 hour ago, TedG said:

There is no context. Virginia has nothing to with Texas.

Really? So at least one of them doesn't send representatives to the House of Representatives? You know, the ways were people chosen to represent districts in their states vote on bills.

1 minute ago, Alan Zweibel said:

Really? So at least one of them doesn't send representatives to the House of Representatives? You know, the ways were people chosen to represent districts in their states vote on bills.

1 minute ago, Alan Zweibel said:

Really? So at least one of them doesn't send representatives to the House of Representatives? You know, the ways were people chosen to represent districts in their states vote on bills.

What happens in VA is the result of the the VA legislature and governor. It’s obvious they don’t care to represent the public at large in Virginia.

3 minutes ago, TedG said:

What happens in VA is the result of the the VA legislature and governor. It’s obvious they don’t care to represent the public at large in Virginia.

We Americans are in a fight to save our democracy…..a war started by the felon in chief we shall prevail.we are forced to use any means to protect our constitution from project 2025.understand that.

1 minute ago, Tug said:

We Americans are in a fight to save our democracy…..a war started by the felon in chief we shall prevail.we are forced to use any means to protect our constitution from project 2025.understand that.

You are saving democracy by disenfranchising people?

What is your problem with p2025?

8 minutes ago, TedG said:

What happens in VA is the result of the the VA legislature and governor. It’s obvious they don’t care to represent the public at large in Virginia.

Silly comment, as look what the public said on Tuesday April 21st in the state of Virginia.

rs

1 hour ago, marin said:

Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade congressional redistricting, a move expected to dramatically reshape the state’s political map and potentially shift its congressional delegation from a closely divided 6-5 split to a heavily Democratic-leaning 10-1 advantage.

By 8:50 p.m., the measure passed by a vote of 50.7-49.3% out of 2.5 million ballots cast, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, clearing the way for lawmakers to redraw district lines outside the traditional once-a-decade census cycle.

Seems to me like 2.5 million members of the public voted fairly. 50.7% chose to vote for the measure, while 49.3% did not favor the measure. This is exactly what democracy is all about. Wake up to that fact.

2 minutes ago, TedG said:

You are saving democracy by disenfranchising people?

What is your problem with p2025?

You are really sticking your head in the sand here. I don't think anyone is happy with this, but it's the result of similar actions elsewhere. Difference is, that here ordinary citizens were allowed to vote on it.

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

You are really sticking your head in the sand here. I don't think anyone is happy with this, but it's the result of similar actions elsewhere. Difference is, that here ordinary citizens were allowed to vote on it.

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

You are really sticking your head in the sand here. I don't think anyone is happy with this, but it's the result of similar actions elsewhere. Difference is, that here ordinary citizens were allowed to vote on it.

No, no, the Virginia democrats are making a choice to disenfranchise half the state. I don’t want to hear anyone claiming the Democrats are fighting for democracy

3 minutes ago, marin said:

Silly comment, as look what the public said on Tuesday April 21st in the state of Virginia.

rs

Seems to me like 2.5 million members of the public voted fairly. 50.7% chose to vote for the measure, while 49.3% did not favor the measure. This is exactly what democracy is all about. Wake up to that fact.

Yea, voting to disenfranchise half the state is awesome

I disagree with you. I think it stinks. But the consequences for the United States of letting the Republicans get away with their disenfranchising are even worse.

6 minutes ago, Alan Zweibel said:

I disagree with you. I think it stinks. But the consequences for the United States of letting the Republicans get away with their disenfranchising are even worse.

I disagree with you. The Democrats are the wrecking ball of the USA. Look at the decline of blue states and cites. There is a reason the great migration that’s been happening over the past decade.

Democrats are nothing but <deleted>bags.

6 minutes ago, TedG said:

Yea, voting to disenfranchise half the state is awesome

Lets see where it began.

https://apnews.com/article/what-know-redistricting-states-voting-maps-congress-d3a30328bec161d50a7ab52ac48f23d5

What to know about redistricting efforts across US at Trump’s prodding

By  DAVID A. LIEB

Updated 5:02 AM GMT+7, October 23, 2025

https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/4f4506e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/112x119+0+0/resize/112x119!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F8c%2F0d%2F15433a314663a3ae8a349ee0d9fa%2Fveifora-comment-icon.png

President Donald Trump’s desire to secure the Republican majority in Congress has prompted an unusual burst of mid-decade redistricting in multiple states.

North Carolina is the latest to take action. The Republican-led General Assembly approved changes Wednesday to U.S. House district designed to help the party unseat a Democratic incumbent.

Texas was the first to answer Trump’s call to redraw its congressional districts for the GOP’s advantage ahead of next year’s elections. Democrats in California countered with their own redistricting effort, followed by Republicans in Missouri. Other states are considering joining the redistricting battle.

Click the link for the rest of the article.

1 minute ago, marin said:

Lets see where it began.

https://apnews.com/article/what-know-redistricting-states-voting-maps-congress-d3a30328bec161d50a7ab52ac48f23d5

What to know about redistricting efforts across US at Trump’s prodding

By  DAVID A. LIEB

Updated 5:02 AM GMT+7, October 23, 2025

https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/4f4506e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/112x119+0+0/resize/112x119!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F8c%2F0d%2F15433a314663a3ae8a349ee0d9fa%2Fveifora-comment-icon.png

President Donald Trump’s desire to secure the Republican majority in Congress has prompted an unusual burst of mid-decade redistricting in multiple states.

North Carolina is the latest to take action. The Republican-led General Assembly approved changes Wednesday to U.S. House district designed to help the party unseat a Democratic incumbent.

Texas was the first to answer Trump’s call to redraw its congressional districts for the GOP’s advantage ahead of next year’s elections. Democrats in California countered with their own redistricting effort, followed by Republicans in Missouri. Other states are considering joining the redistricting battle.

Click the link for the rest of the article.

Dude, the VA Dems have agency for what they are doing in VA. And the governor is a total liar.

Have you looked at the lobster claw? Have you seen how they want to spit Fairfax into 5 districts?

4 minutes ago, TedG said:

Dude, the VA Dems have agency for what they are doing in VA. And the governor is a total liar.

Have you looked at the lobster claw? Have you seen how they want to spit Fairfax into 5 districts?

It's called gerrymandering. Does the shape of it make it wrong? Or is it the intent to deny voters fair representation?

4 hours ago, TedG said:

The party of democracy is working to disenfranchise half the state.

4 hours ago, Alan Zweibel said:

Yes. What they're doing is wrong. Of course, this didn't start with the Democrats, did it. In fact, it started with the Republicans long before Trump called for redrawing congressional districts to benefit Republicans this year.

This is only possible because the right wingers on the Supreme Court has ruled that such practices don't violate the Constitution. For a long time that worked to the benefit of Republicans. Now, they discovered that such actions when taken by Democrats are wrong.

Supreme Court Rules Partisan Gerrymandering Is Beyond The Reach Of Federal Courts

In a 5-4 decision along traditional conservative-liberal ideological lines, the Supreme Court ruled that partisan redistricting is a political question — not reviewable by federal courts — and that those courts can't judge if extreme gerrymandering violates the Constitution.

The ruling puts the onus on the legislative branch, and on individual states, to police redistricting efforts.

"We conclude that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts," Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the conservative majority.

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/27/731847977/supreme-court-rules-partisan-gerrymandering-is-beyond-the-reach-of-federal-court#:~:text=Republicans%20managed%20to%20both%20maximize,tactics%20in%20their%20redistricting%20efforts.

Moreover, Republicans voted against HR 1, a law banning gerrymandering and establishing independent redistricting.

And now now they are bitten in the ass! 😃

I guess it's appropriate to use the infantile words and expressions of the Trump administration against them:

FAFO.

PS. I totally agree that this is plain wrong, but when fighting an enemy of democracy (Trump and the GOP) the gloves need to come off. Hopefully, if/when a level of normalcy returns, new laws and regulations are written and implemented which forbid and prevent such moves.

This is important to remember: The Texas redistricting happened without voter input. The Virginia redistricting was put to a vote and approved.

Yet the GOP are crying. Disgusting hypocrites.

GOP - *Gerrymanders*

DEMS - Hey stop, that no fair

GOP - *Gerrymanders even more*

DEMS - We mean it, we’re gonna sue

SCOTUS - *Legalizes gerrymandering completely*

DEMS - Starts gerrymandering

GOP - *HEY STOP, THAT NO FAIR!!!! *🤣

One has to just laugh at MAGA hypocrisy. It runs deeper than the Marianas Trench.

Texas redistricted solely under the order of the Republican Govt. VA let the people decide. Texas was authoritarian, Virginia was democracy.

The VA votes went 50.7% vs 49.3%...buy MAGAs whine this is "disenfranchising half (sic) the State.

Trump beat Harris in 2024 with 49.8% to Harris' 48.3%. That's not even a majority...merely a plurality...yet MAGAs screamed "MANDATE!".

Trump is not disenfranchising just half the US, but with a disapproval rating of 67%, he is disenfranchising 2/3's of the nation.

41 minutes ago, Wingate said:

One has to just laugh at MAGA hypocrisy. It runs deeper than the Marianas Trench.

Texas redistricted solely under the order of the Republican Govt. VA let the people decide. Texas was authoritarian, Virginia was democracy.

The VA votes went 50.7% vs 49.3%...buy MAGAs whine this is "disenfranchising half (sic) the State.

Trump beat Harris in 2024 with 49.8% to Harris' 48.3%. That's not even a majority...merely a plurality...yet MAGAs screamed "MANDATE!".

Trump is not disenfranchising just half the US, but with a disapproval rating of 67%, he is disenfranchising 2/3's of the nation.

Is that why a circuit court in Virginia determined and ruled that the liberals attempt to gerrymander is illegal and unconstitutional, spidy?

22 hours ago, marin said:

Lets have a look at why Virginia decided to hold this special election.

Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade congressional redistricting, a move expected to dramatically reshape the state’s political map and potentially shift its congressional delegation from a closely divided 6-5 split to a heavily Democratic-leaning 10-1 advantage.

By 8:50 p.m., the measure passed by a vote of 50.7-49.3% out of 2.5 million ballots cast, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, clearing the way for lawmakers to redraw district lines outside the traditional once-a-decade census cycle.

Supporters argued the amendment gives Virginia flexibility to respond to aggressive redistricting efforts in several Republican-led states at the urging of President Donald Trump, while critics warned it opens the door to partisan gerrymandering and undermines long-standing constitutional guardrails.

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said the results reflect what he described as a reaffirmation of democratic principles, arguing that voters “answered a question about the nature of our democracy … in favor of the people.” 

He said Virginians acted in response to what he called “unprecedented gerrymandering in other states,” adding that “fairness won” and “accountability won,” and that the outcome shows “the people will decide.”

Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said the vote delivers “a massive blow to the GOP plot to rig control of Congress,” praising Virginia voters for what she described as answering a national call to protect democracy. 

At the same time, she cautioned that “the fight is far from over,” arguing that redistricting battles will continue to play out in state legislatures and that upcoming elections will be critical in determining who draws maps and holds power in the years ahead

I don't wish to appear naive - heaven forbid, but shouldn't the party which wins the most seats hold power?

The trouble of course is that the representative districts have been so heavily gerrymandered ( by both sides) over last decades that frankly their boundaries mean nothing beyond party voting rolls - you only have to look at some of the ludicrous shapes on the maps!

Nice to see the GOP/MAGA supporters complaining about Virginia's actions, but they were silent when Texas and 4 other GOP-controlled states did exactly the same.

Nice to see the GOP/MAGA supporters complaining about Virginia's actions, but they were silent when Texas and 4 other GOP-controlled states did exactly the same.

Not a fan, but there really is no room to complain at the Democrats ruthlessly exercising power. It actually is one of those "both sides do it" situations.

There must be some way to use, I dunno, computers? or AI? to arrange districts that are fair and also make sense geographically. Creating districts that look like a lobster or a dragon is almost insulting to the voters.