Supreme Court Of Virginia Greenlights Redistricting Referendum

By Samantha Willis and Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

February 13, 2026

The Supreme Court of Virginia on Friday agreed to allow Democratic lawmakers’ mid-decade redistricting attempt to move forward, announcing it will hear the case on an expedited basis. The court denied Republican lawmakers’ motion to pause a redistricting referendum as the high court deliberates the case.

The order means voters will be able to approve or reject the redistricting amendment in a referendum scheduled for April 21, 2026. The effort would redrawn Virginia’s congressional maps, with 10 districts favoring Democrats and one tipped towards Republicans.

Virginia Democrats’ proposed 10-D, 1-R congressional districts map preserves the broad outlines of some existing districts but redistributes how the population is grouped across much of the state. (Photo courtesy Virginia Legislative Information System)/Virginia Mercury

Democratic leaders have said the new map is necessary to “level the playing field,” after other states have redrawn their maps at the urging of President Donald Trump to try and gain more Republican seats in midterm elections later this year.

“These are not ordinary times and Virginia will not sit on the sidelines while it happens,” Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, said last week.

“Today the Supreme Court of Virginia affirmed what we already know, Virginians will have the final say,” House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, said in a statement Friday morning.

Republicans decried the efforts as blatant gerrymandering and sued to stop the effort.

“Democrats are focused on political gerrymandering instead of focusing on affordability,” said Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, who led the lawsuit.

This story was originally published by the Virginia Mercury. For more stories from the Virginia Mercury, visit Virginia Mercury.com.