Virginia voters have PASSED the egregiously Congressional gerrymandering map[update]

[Timber Rattler]

Spanberger Gloats About Redistricting Referendum Squeaking By: ‘Voters Have Spoken’

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) gloated after the state’s redistricting referendum narrowly passed, allowing the Democrats to redraw the congressional map in their favor.

She shouldn't gloat too much because the referendum only passed 51% to 48%, which is near an equal split, and hardly a mandate.  If that Liberal 51% tries to crush the other Conservative 48% then things can go very badly very fast, with unintended consequences. 

[catfish1957]

I wish self reflection and retrospection to every  Virginia swing voter who was stupid enough buy off on this ruse of moderate politics.

If we lose the House by 2 or 3, this is on you....   

[verga]

Low turnout where it counted.  It only passed by 41,000 votes.  Rural Virginia had an excellent chance to stop this thing cold but the apathy and laziness of those who never bothered to vote won out.

When i went to vote there was not a single vote NO sign outside the polling place. At 6:30 in the morning I was number 34, at 6:30 at night my wife was number 334.
F#^K NOVA and Richmond.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/PolitiBunny/status/2046900042196201494

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/PolitiBunny/status/2046910714904707141

[American Girl]

The ways to cheat are just ridiculous. Has everyone forgotten what the word ‘integrity’ means?

https://www.rightjournalism.com/virginia-approves-heavily-contested-redistricting-map-heres-why-court-battle-could-still-decide-the-outcome/

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2046931045128319199

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2046926605243523076

[American Girl]

Excerpt:
A newly surfaced wave of political spending tied to the redistricting battle in Virginia is sparking fresh controversy, with critics arguing that outside money played a far larger role than local voters in shaping the outcome.

According to figures circulating online, roughly $65 million in total funding was poured into the redistricting effort — but only about $1.5 million reportedly came from Virginia residents themselves. The rest, critics say, was funneled in through national political networks and outside organizations.



Pocket change for Nancy!

I’m guessing the Fairness Project is a dark hole of NGO money and…Nancy Pelosi is interested in swaying districts in VA?

https://defiantamerica.com/65-million-in-dark-money-flooded-virginias-redistricting-fight/

[DefiantMassRINO]

Payback for Texas.  The Texas Taliban opened this can of worms to polish Trump's knob, and it's backfired.

Dems have advantage in House districting because it's based on population, which gives Dems advantage in urban and metro areas, and more densely populated states.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Campaign finance is just one large money laundering operation via PAC's, LLC's, State User Agents, and Foundations.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2046982332872090019

[cato potatoe]

Why are these influencers wailing about Virginia when they hooted and hollered after Texas launched a war?  These guys have the objectivity of a meth addict.  We are not going to have a country if the future of political discourse is MAGA vs Antifa.

[verga]

I am demonstrating considerable restraint in withholding my feeling about the current resident of the Governor's office here in VA.
Anything else I might say could be grounds for me being banned.

[Free Vulcan]

Why are these influencers wailing about Virginia when they hooted and hollered after Texas launched a war?  These guys have the objectivity of a meth addict.  We are not going to have a country if the future of political discourse is MAGA vs Antifa.

Oh good Lord, the drama queen projecting. Almost all the blue states are heavily gerrymandered, Texas was just leveling the playing field.

[Smokin Joe]

This is a buck nekkid attempt to strip Virginia voters of representation germane to their home areas. No way that outlying DC communities in NoVA have much in common with the needs of people in the hollows of, say, Bath County, two mountain ranges and the Shenandoah Valley away, and there is no way that one person can represent the diverse interests of those populations. They will cater to the most numerous and vocal, and the rural areas will lose, every time. For all intents and purposes, those more rural residents will be unrepresented in the Legislature, and THAT is a true 'threat to our Democracy'.

I won't even go where my 'conspiracy theorist' mind is taking me, considering the mail in ballots from Fairfax, counted last, put the measure over the top.

[Bigun]

This is a buck nekkid attempt to strip Virginia voters of representation germane to their home areas. No way that outlying DC communities in NoVA have much in common with the needs of people in the hollows of, say, Bath County, two mountain ranges and the Shenandoah Valley away, and there is no way that one person can represent the diverse interests of those populations. They will cater to the most numerous and vocal, and the rural areas will lose, every time. For all intents and purposes, those more rural residents will be unrepresented in the Legislature, and THAT is a true 'threat to our Democracy'.

I won't even go where my 'conspiracy theorist' mind is taking me, considering the mail in ballots from Fairfax, counted last, put the measure over the top.

And that is patently unconstitutional!

[mountaineer]

Greg Price
@greg_price11
It's worth recapping just how many state laws Virginia Democrats violated in order to actually do this referendum.

They kept a special session open for two years, pushed it through with early voting already underway in last year's governor's race, and failed to publish it three months before an election.

They wrote an extremely misleading ballot question, also in violation of the law, that claimed creating a 10D-1R map was a "temporary measure" to "restore fairness," in order to influence a particular result.

And yet, a referendum passing by less than 5 points will allow them to create a 10D-1R map in a state that voted for Kamala by 6 points.

If only Republicans would use the power they gain to ruthlessly govern instead of lecturing us about 'norms and procedures.'
8:51 PM · Apr 21, 2026

[cato potatoe]

Oh good Lord, the drama queen projecting. Almost all the blue states are heavily gerrymandered, Texas was just leveling the playing field.

Yeah that's not true.  California, Colorado had commission based systems, with advisory commissions in New York and Virginia.  Now those states are getting rid of every Republican they possibly can.  Michigan later on. 

In the wake of the 2024 election, Donald Trump read a tweet by some puffy head doofus like catturd2 and decided the maps were "rigged."  Were there a culture of feedback in the White House, an advisor could have explained the situation to Donald before he launched a war he could not win.

[Free Vulcan]

Yeah that's not true.  California, Colorado had commission based systems, with advisory commissions in New York and Virginia.  Now those states are getting rid of every Republican they possibly can.  Michigan possibly later on. 

In the wake of the 2024 election, Donald Trump read a tweet by some puffy head doofus like catturd2 and decided the maps were "rigged."  Were there a culture of feedback in the White House, an advisor could have explained the situation to Donald before he launched a war he could not win.

Spare me the Lincoln Project/CIA color revolution propaganda. You cherry picked two states, but looking at the whole playing field most Blue states are maxed out on Rat districts.

The Rats started this war, and are continuing to fight it. Quit spinning fairy tale fantasies.

[cato potatoe]

Spare me the Lincoln Project/CIA color revolution propaganda. You cherry picked two states, but looking at the whole playing field most Blue states are maxed out on Rat districts.

The Rats started this war, and are continuing to fight it. Quit spinning fairy tale fantasies.

It isn't propaganda.  The only thing you people read are totally subjective, right-wing sources, and they give you 30% of the facts.  Then y'all howl and scream when you are blindsided by the other 70%.  The red states were gerrymandered before 2025, while several blue states had commission based systems.  Republicans had a slight but important structural advantage in the House, which helped them overcome the effect of the VRA districts in the south.

[Free Vulcan]

It isn't propaganda.  The only thing you people read are totally subjective, right-wing sources, and they give you 30% of the facts.  Then y'all howl and scream when you are blindsided by the other 70%.  The red states were gerrymandered before 2025, while several blue states had commission based systems.  Republicans had a slight but important structural advantage in the House, which helped them overcome the effect of the VRA districts in the south.

Here we go again. The juking, side-stepping, and spinny spinny spinny.

You want to frame this as the GOP starting a war. You can't start a war when your opposition is already at war with you. Quit deflecting with the canard of 'commission based systems' of 'several blue states' when fact is the majority of blue states are already gerrymandered.

Regardless of what Texas did, the Rats would have kept gerrymandering till the GOP 'structural advantage' was gone.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Greg Price
@greg_price11
It's worth recapping just how many state laws Virginia Democrats violated in order to actually do this referendum.

They kept a special session open for two years, pushed it through with early voting already underway in last year's governor's race, and failed to publish it three months before an election.

They wrote an extremely misleading ballot question, also in violation of the law, that claimed creating a 10D-1R map was a "temporary measure" to "restore fairness," in order to influence a particular result.

And yet, a referendum passing by less than 5 points will allow them to create a 10D-1R map in a state that voted for Kamala by 6 points.

If only Republicans would use the power they gain to ruthlessly govern instead of lecturing us about 'norms and procedures.'
8:51 PM · Apr 21, 2026

Excellent find ... 

[Right_in_Virginia]

Here we go again. The juking, side-stepping, and spinny spinny spinny.

You want to frame this as the GOP starting a war. You can't start a war when your opposition is already at war with you. Quit deflecting with the canard of 'commission based systems' of 'several blue states' when fact is the majority of blue states are already gerrymandered.

Regardless of what Texas did, the Rats would have kept gerrymandering till the GOP 'structural advantage' was gone.

QFT

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2047044321497477271

[Smokin Joe]

Why do the 'proposed districts' in that graphic not include what other graphics have in their blue areas? The amount of Democrat evil here is being grossly underrepresented.

[verga]

Yeah that's not true.  California, Colorado had commission based systems, with advisory commissions in New York and Virginia.  Now those states are getting rid of every Republican they possibly can.  Michigan later on. 

In the wake of the 2024 election, Donald Trump read a tweet by some puffy head doofus like catturd2 and decided the maps were "rigged."  Were there a culture of feedback in the White House, an advisor could have explained the situation to Donald before he launched a war he could not win.

Dude cut back on the Shrooms.

[verga]

https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2047044321497477271

We need to pray extra hard tonight.

[Wingnut]

We need to pray extra hard tonight.

Amen.  Spamburger needs to be bitchslapped on this.  I hope it is upheld on appeal for the sake of the real people who live in the real world and not the ones who live where RiV resides.

[Fishrrman]

Smokin Joe wrote above:
"This is a buck nekkid attempt to strip Virginia voters of representation germane to their home areas. No way that outlying DC communities in NoVA have much in common with the needs of people in the hollows of, say, Bath County, two mountain ranges and the Shenandoah Valley away, and there is no way that one person can represent the diverse interests of those populations."

Then it's time for central/southwestern Virginians to consider doing what their northwestern counterparts did back around 1863 or so -- separate from the northern/eastern end of the state and create their own new state.

What to name it? Should be obvious:
The new state of Shenandoah ...

[mountaineer]

Jonathan Turley
@JonathanTurley
We are having quite the night in the courts. A Virginia judge just blocked the state from certifying the results of Tuesday's congressional map referendum as unlawful. Judge Jack Hurley Jr., ruled that Democrats did not follow the correct procedure for a constitutional amendment....
5:10 PM · Apr 22, 2026

Jonathan Turley
@JonathanTurley
...If this is the same result in the state Supreme Court, it would be a disaster for Democrats on a multiplicity of levels. They would not only be prevented from wiping out GOP seats in the purple state, but they have also alienated almost half of the state in a way that is unlikely to dissipate over time...
5:07 PM · Apr 22, 2026


Jonathan Turley
@JonathanTurley
...Democratic leaders across the state and the country are now on the record in calling for a map that this judge found to be unlawful. It is hard to be a champion of democracy when you are violating your own constitution. Finally, they spent an enormous amount of money on a vote that could now be negated.

[Timber Rattler]

Judge Jack Hurley is a good one.  He's the judge who originally ruled that the referendum was illegal but then the State Supreme Court ruled that he was premature, and that it had to take place first before its legality was challenged.  The law is on his side but that doesn't matter much anymore with activist judges controlling the State Supreme Court.  They'll probably just knock him down again.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2047095418132066664

[Hoodat]

It isn't propaganda.  The only thing you people read are totally subjective, right-wing sources, and they give you 30% of the facts.  Then y'all howl and scream when you are blindsided by the other 70%.  The red states were gerrymandered before 2025, while several blue states had commission based systems.  Republicans had a slight but important structural advantage in the House, which helped them overcome the effect of the VRA districts in the south.

Speaking of facts:

Maryland's 2nd Congressional district



Maryland's 3rd Congressional district



Maryland's 4th Congressional district



Maryland's 7th Congressional district



Maryland's 8th Congressional district



But Trump is the one who started it?  Yeah, right.

[Hoodat]

Illinois voter ratio

5:4 Dem (55%)

Congressional ratio

14:3 Dem (82%)

[Hoodat]

Massachusetts voters - 61% Dem

Massachusetts Congressional seats - 100% Dem

[Hoodat]

Connecticut voters - 56% Dem

Connecticut Congressional seats - 100% Dem

[Hoodat]

Court decision can be found here:  https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026-04-22-Final-judgment.pdf

Conspicuously absent from the list of plaintiffs is the totally worthless Virginia Republican Party.

[Smokin Joe]

Asked on 'X': What about the counties whose totals went backwards...again?

https://x.com/Matka1776/status/2047145939073192385

https://x.com/Matka1776/status/2047145939073192385

Wording counts: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HGcZfeIWUAAQi_b?format=jpg&name=small

[verga]

Smokin Joe wrote above:
"This is a buck nekkid attempt to strip Virginia voters of representation germane to their home areas. No way that outlying DC communities in NoVA have much in common with the needs of people in the hollows of, say, Bath County, two mountain ranges and the Shenandoah Valley away, and there is no way that one person can represent the diverse interests of those populations."

Then it's time for central/southwestern Virginians to consider doing what their northwestern counterparts did back around 1863 or so -- separate from the northern/eastern end of the state and create their own new state.

What to name it? Should be obvious:
The new state of Shenandoah ...

No need for a new state. The good people of West Virginia have had a standing offer to annex about 10 solidly red counties.

[verga]

https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2047095418132066664

Combined with the ballot dumping in Fairfax county......

[verga]

A friend of my wife usually works at the polling places. This year she refused due to how the amendment was worded.

[mountaineer]

No need for a new state. The good people of West Virginia have had a standing offer to annex about 10 solidly red counties.

Yes!

[Timber Rattler]

Yes!

That's the best course of action but would require Congressional approval, as well as the approvals of the Virginia and WV legislatures.

[mountaineer]

That's the best course of action but would require Congressional approval, as well as the approvals of the Virginia and WV legislatures.

Just a couple of days ago, the WV governor was talking about how we need more population. Of course, I'm sure he'd prefer a simple process like people packing up the U-Haul and moving into the state, rather than all the legal complications of actually expanding geographically.

[Wingnut]

Is this from Babylon Bee:

Democratic state Sen. Lamont Bagby made the claim during a floor debate on the state’s gerrymandering amendment, according to video posted by WJLA reporter Nick Minock. Bagby pushed back on Republicans who argued Democrats have no grasp of rural life.

He said he understands rural America because he grew up watching “The Dukes of Hazzard.”

Now, for me, because I watched Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, What’s Happening and Good Times and Fat Albert I could head up the Southern Poverty Law center. 

[Cyber Liberty]

Is this from Babylon Bee:

Democratic state Sen. Lamont Bagby made the claim during a floor debate on the state’s gerrymandering amendment, according to video posted by WJLA reporter Nick Minock. Bagby pushed back on Republicans who argued Democrats have no grasp of rural life.

He said he understands rural America because he grew up watching “The Dukes of Hazzard.”

Now, for me, because I watched Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, What’s Happening and Good Times and Fat Albert I could head up the Southern Poverty Law center.

You could be a blatant Aryan Supremacist/Neo Nazi and head up the Southern Poverty Law Center.

[Wingnut]

You could be a blatant Aryan Supremacist/Neo Nazi and head up the Southern Poverty Law Center.

 

In that case, I may need to set my sights higher.  How about the Congressional Black Caucus! 

[mountaineer]

I watched "ER" and will be performing neurosurgery tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

[Bigun]

I watched "ER" and will be performing neurosurgery tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

I watched Gunsmoke and Wagon Train! The bad guys don't have a prayer!