Virginia Democrats look to decimate GOP seats in redistricting effort

[mystery-ak]

 Virginia Democrats look to decimate GOP seats in redistricting effort

But some Democrats warn that the effort may be more difficult than it looks.

By Brakkton Booker01/13/2026 07:23 PM EST

Virginia Democrats are launching their last big campaign in the redistricting wars this week — but big questions loom about whether they can agree on how to maximize benefits to their party and whether they can convince voters to support their power grab.

On Wednesday, the Virginia Legislature kicks off its first session since Democrats won unified control of the commonwealth in last November’s elections. A persistent divide has emerged however, between Democrats who hope to draw an aggressive gerrymander that could deliver them 10 of the state’s 11 congressional seats — a four-seat grab for their side that would wipe out all but one GOP congressional district — and those who want to take a more subtle approach to offsetting GOP gerrymanders elsewhere.

“It will be a real debate. I mean, we want to get as much as we can, but we also want the referendum to pass,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) told POLITICO Tuesday afternoon, adding that an expected Supreme Court decision this year on the Voting Rights Act could ultimately give Republicans more seats.

“[Democrats] basically have voting rights act seats in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana,” he said. “They could all be gone, right? So that’s a great concern. So it’s essential in Virginia that we look at the fairness argument from a national perspective, not just the Commonwealth.”

Virginia’s current congressional delegation has six Democrats and five Republicans, so under the new maps Democrats would likely pick up three or four seats.

more
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/13/virginia-redistricting-democrats-republicans-seats-00723660

[DefiantMassRINO]

The Texas Taliban opened this can of worms.

Pendulums swing both ways.

[Smokin Joe]

Sadly, the blue East of the central Shenandoah Valley is around Charlottesville, a college town (UVA). It used to be a very conservative area.
Which makes me wonder how many ballots were cast there by folks outside their district of origin. Then, too, it has been nearly 50 year since I lived across the mountains from there, and with the growth of the University things may well have changed.

[mystery-ak]

Virginia Democrats move to seize redistricting power, opening door to 4 new left-leaning seats
Democrats currently control 6 of Virginia's 11 congressional districts and aim to create up to 4 additional left-leaning seats
By Paul Steinhauser Fox News
Published January 17, 2026 5:00am EST

The Virginia state Senate on Friday greenlit a constitutional amendment that would clear the way for the Democrat-controlled legislature to redraw the state's U.S. House maps ahead of this year's midterm elections.

The move by state senators, following a similar vote on Wednesday in the state House, was the final step needed to send the amendment to Virginia voters. If the ballot measure is approved this spring, the legislature, rather than the current non-partisan commission, would redraw the state's congressional maps through 2030.

Virginia is the latest battleground in the ongoing high-stakes battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats to alter congressional maps ahead of November's elections. And Virginia Democrats, who currently control six of the state's 11 U.S. House districts, are aiming to draw up to four additional left-leaning seats.

Republicans are defending their razor-thin House majority in the midterms and Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to win back control of the chamber.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) called Friday's development "a critical step in giving Virginia voters the opportunity to ensure they have fair and equal representation in Congress."

more
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-democrats-move-seize-redistricting-power-opening-door-four-new-left-leaning-seats

[cato potatoe]

The Texas Taliban opened this can of worms.

Pendulums swing both ways.

All they had to do was say “no” to Donald Trump, this one time.  California and Virginia had guardrails in place.  Not anymore.  Now DeSantis is getting into the act, but the state courts will strike down any obvious gerrymandering there.

[mountaineer]

Jen Kiggans
@JenKiggans
🚨 It’s official: The Virginia Senate has passed Democrats’ gerrymandering constitutional amendment. 🚨
Now, the General Assembly is moving to impose new congressional maps and force a special election in April—maps that would change Virginia’s delegation to 10 Democrats and just 1 Republican.  This is power for power’s sake—plain and simple. Elections should be decided in a fair fight at the ballot box, not through shady political gerrymandering. Virginians deserve better.
1:36 PM · Jan 16, 2026

[Free Vulcan]

The bald faced lies that too often get propagated here.

Most blue states are already gerrymandered to the hilt. Texas was just playing catch up, and the rest of the Red states need to as well.

[Hoodat]

The bald faced lies that too often get propagated here.

Most blue states are already gerrymandered to the hilt.

Very true.

Here was the map last decade after Democrats drew it.



And here's how it was redrawn in 2022 when Republicans controlled the House of Delegates:




It is clear how Democrats have used gerrymandering in the past to consolidate power.  They are adamant about making the 5th District a Democrat district first and foremost.  But they will be hard pressed to turn anything west of the Blue Ridge into a Democrat seat.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/JonathanTurley/status/2012543013700927562

[MeganC]

The Texas Taliban opened this can of worms.

Pendulums swing both ways.

Nonsense. Your state of Massachusetts has 40% GOP registration and ZERO GOP representation in Congress due to gerrymandering.

Texas was the pendulum swinging.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/2012552284375237067