Updated on: April 21, 2026 / 10:33 PM EDT / CBS News
Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a new congressional map that would give Democrats an advantage in 10 House districts, leaving just one safe Republican seat, CBS News projects. The map could help Democrats pick up as many as four House seats, a major blow to Republicans in the nationwide redistricting fight ahead of this year’s midterms.
The referendum was pitched by Democrats as a counter to President Trump’s push for GOP-controlled states to redraw maps to benefit Republicans — notably Texas, which made five Democratic districts GOP-leaning. California’s Democratic governor spearheaded a similar measure last year that shifted five GOP-held districts leftward; Missouri and North Carolina also redrew maps to favor Republicans in one seat each. Efforts in Indiana and Maryland did not pass their legislatures.
Virginia voters in 2020 approved a constitutional amendment creating a bipartisan commission to draw congressional maps. Tuesday’s referendum set aside the commission’s maps and replaced them with maps drawn by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. The commission-based system will be reinstated after the 2030 census.
National Democrats framed the vote as a national fight against Republican redistricting efforts and sought to capitalize on Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger’s recent large victory and other gains. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries celebrated the result, saying Democrats “did the opposite” of rolling over. The Democratic National Committee said Virginians refused to let “Trump play games with Americans’ right to fair representation.”
Republicans noted the referendum’s narrow margins, with the pro-redistricting side on track to win by low single digits. Rep. Richard Hudson, chair of the House GOP campaign arm, called the effort an “egregious power grab” and said the close result shows Virginia remains a purple state that shouldn’t be represented by a severe partisan gerrymander.
The new map spreads Democratic voting strength in northern Virginia, Richmond and Virginia Beach across more districts. Many rural voters said the map disenfranchises them.
Democrats enlisted high-profile surrogates, including former President Barack Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder, who chairs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Though that committee focuses on bipartisan commissions, Holder supported the Democratic map in Virginia, saying on “Face the Nation” that the immediate crisis required this approach before returning to commissions.
Former President Trump urged voters to reject the map despite his prior support for GOP-favoring redistricting in other states. Trump’s low approval ratings and local impacts from federal job cuts and energy prices were cited as factors in the campaign.
Nearly $100 million has been spent on the referendum, with about 95% from dark-money sources. Virginians for Fair Elections, backing the map, contributed roughly $64 million; Virginians for Fair Maps, opposing it, has spent nearly $20 million, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Lawsuits from GOP officials challenging the referendum remain pending in state court, though the Virginia Supreme Court allowed the referendum to proceed while legal challenges continue. Former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin urged the court to block what he called an unconstitutional process that would disenfranchise millions.
With the general election less than seven months away and primaries and filing deadlines passed in many states, few other states are likely to revisit redistricting before 2026, though Florida’s legislature will meet next week in a special session on the issue.
The Supreme Court heard arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, a case that could weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which has been used to protect minority voters’ ability to elect preferred candidates; a decision could prompt new maps in several states. The Court has not yet ruled. It has left the new maps in Texas and California in place.