Virginia Redistricting is Dead

[angrychair]

The court ruled that the state’s Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize the mid-decade redistricting. Voters narrowly approved the amendment April 21, but the court’s ruling renders the results of that vote meaningless.

Yet again Republicans seem to come out on top.
It's literally like we are cursed. Not sure how Republicans can, very literally, rape and steal and grift with impunity and it all still works out for them but Democrats seem to go one step forward, two steps back, every single time.

I shudder to think what the second half of this administration would like if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate. If all the Southern states redistrict, especially in light of this turn of events, we may be facing a permanent Republican majority. Our country will not survive that.
Reference: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-05-08/virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-democrats-redistricting-plan-dimming-partys-midterm-hopes

[In It to Win It]

1. Now, imagine this... our hopes are in the Florida state courts that they'll strike down the Florida map 😂

[Lochloosa]

12. DeSatan installed all but 1 justices on the FLSC. I don't have high hopes here.

[In It to Win It]

17. Agreed. I'd be shocked if they actually strike down the map before the primaries.

[Emile]

2. Trump said if you put him back in office

you wouldn't have to vote again.

[underpants]

3. Great. 🤬

[OGBuzz]

4. It's what happens when only one side plays by the rules and always takes the high road.

[Six117]

45. Truth

Which begs the question, why continue to play by rules that are obviously intended to keep us down?

We should and can do better.

[OGBuzz]

54. If only there was some economic solution to all this.

The 24 blue states generate 60% of the U.S. GDP.
In 2020 Trump carried 2,497 counties which accounted for 30% of U.S. GDP, and Biden carried 477 counties which accounted for 70% of the U.S. GDP.
Without blue America, red America would be a third world country.

[31st Street Bridge]

46. The USA is the biggest heap of bullshit on earth

We are not free.

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. Dead for this year, not forever

The ruling laid out what was wrong with the process, which the legislature can reverse engineer and try again, probably next year.

[angrychair]

10. True

But by then it will be too late and Republicans could very likely stay in control of the House and Senate for the remainder of his current term and I don't see how we get out of this with our country intact with another two years of this.

[Fiendish Thingy]

20. Nothing can stop the Blue Tsunami

With 2024 Trump +20 districts swinging 15-30 points to the Dems in election after election over the past year, even the desperate Hail Mary gerrymandering won’t save them.

[angrychair]

38. That was before voter disenfranchisement

And before this state supreme court loss as well. It's before a formal election which I am positive will include armed (frozen water) and likely even armed military troops stationed outside polling locations harassing people or intimidating people as they approach their polling stations.
Republicans have no intentions of giving up control of government peacefully.

[Fiendish Thingy]

61. Sorry to hear you have bought the mythology

For everyone else, never forget this one absolute truth:

Trump is not omnipotent, and the states and the people are not powerless.

Their desperate Hail Mary gerrymandering won’t save them.

[ShazzieB]

51. Thanks for pointing this out.

I know Dems have had a lot of wins since Trump 47 took office but I haven't been keeping close track. That sounds even better than I realized.

No matter what else happens in the next 6 months, I know the midterms are going to be a nail biter for a lot of us just because the stakes are so high. But victory will be even sweeter if Demicrats can blow past all these nakedly desperate attempts to steal congressional seats from us!

[Wednesdays]

68. Exactly. There have been dozens of special elections since 2024

...and the only Democratic loss that I know of was Georgia-14 (MTG's former district). And even then, Democrats gained 15 percent over the last election.

[Bengus81]

60. I don't trust any of those Trump voters or MAGA to do the right thing

Talk is big by RW'ers when interviewed months away from an election. Hell, I figured Harris for a at least 10 point victory when Trump told everyone he'd be a dictator if re-elected.

[Fiendish Thingy]

63. They're already doing it

They elected Dems for mayor in Miami, flipped state seats in Texas, and even put 3 Dems on a utility board in Georgia that hadn’t had a Dem on it for 30+ years, and many, many special and regular elections in other states.

All of those wins would not have been possible if Republicans hadn’t voted for the Dem candidates.

[mr715]

32. There is no world the GOP win the House.

[Kingofalldems]

64. So why didn't you post that fact?

[Diraven]

47. Why can't they call an emergency session?

And redo the districts right away? That's what all the southern Republican states did right after the SC struck down the VRA.

[FBaggins]

74. It wouldn't create the missing "intervening election"

The constitutional requirement isn’t that they vote twice… it’s that they vote twice with a general election in between.

So they can pass it again (for a new referendum) in November for 2028

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Why is it dead?

Why can't they follow the Supreme Court ruling and just pass it in the legislature?

You do realize that Florida and other states are going to do just that, right? It's not too late in this opera of corruption until the fat lady sings.

[Aepps22]

7. State Law Matter

This is a state law matter which is why this happened. The VA SC intentionally ignored the plain text of the VA constitution and prior precedence to come to this conclusion.

[Baitball Blogger]

9. Yes, but in the law, no one prevails if they don't seek novel ways using the Court's own system of

justice. The Right is singular at this, only because they break the ruling whenever it suits them. We just need to come up behind them using the sloppy path they left behind. In time, people will recognize that this bizarre world this crooked Supreme Court has set up for us is unsustainable.

[GreenWave]

22. two can be denied by state legislature in 2028 but they house must stay blue.

[popsdenver]

39. There was a MAJOR thing that happened in

the 2000 election........The "States Rights" voting matters were violated by the U.S. Supreme Court, that had absolutely no legal standing or right to interfere in Florida's Presidential counting of votes.......But they did...................
The ABSOLUTE WORST THING..... is their corruption, having been allowed, became a precedent, that the Supremes could then use in the future....

That was only one of the countless number of things that the dems didn't protest BIG TIME in the past 46+ years.....
The Republicans have been playing multi dimensional chess since HWBush treasonously installed Reagan in 1980, while the Dems are STILL trying to learn how to play checkers.......

[AlexSFCA]

77. it's not the law that matter but the judges who interpret it

[In It to Win It]

8. Florida, in particular, will have to overcome state law as well... assuming the state courts give a fuck.

[Baitball Blogger]

11. Yep. I wouldn't hang my hat on this one.

I hope Alex Vindman prevails. But seriously, we have powerful Democrats here who have cozied up with Republicans for so long, that he would have to break the feudalistic good ole boy network that exists here. He allows even one of them into his breakfast circle and he can just assume that every GOP member will know what he's planning by lunchtime.

[In It to Win It]

14. Neither would I

[angrychair]

13. Narrator: Florida courts do not, in fact, care

They are there to enforce the will of the Republicans in office.

[popsdenver]

41. Florida...............

The only state that could vote in, as one of their U.S. Senators, the CEO of a company that defrauded Medicare of 1.4 Billion....
...........UN-FATHOMABLE................

[Celerity]

15. The article explains why. The legislature violated the set of rules laid out.

snip

The case before the court focused not on the shape of the new districts but rather on the process the General Assembly used to authorize them. Because the state’s redistricting commission was established by a voter-approved constitutional amendment, lawmakers had to propose an amendment to redraw the districts. That required approval of a resolution in two separate legislative sessions, with a state election sandwiched in between, to place the amendment on the ballot.

The legislature’s initial approval of the amendment occurred last October — while early voting was underway but before it concluded on the day of the general election. The legislature’s second vote on the amendment occurred after a new legislative session began in January. Lawmakers also approved a separate bill in February laying out the new districts, subject to voter approval of the constitutional amendment. Judicial arguments focused on whether the legislature’s initial approval of the amendment came too late, because early voting already had begun for the 2025 general election.

Attorney Matthew Seligman, who defended the legislature, argued that the “election” should be defined narrowly to mean the Tuesday of the general election. In that case, the legislature’s first vote on the redistricting amendment occurred before the election and was constitutional, he told judges. An attorney for the plaintiffs, Thomas McCarthy, argued that an “election” should be interpreted to cover the entire period during which people can cast ballots, which lasts several weeks in Virginia. If that’s the case, he told justices, then the legislature’s initial endorsement of the redistricting amendment came too late to comply with the state constitution.

In January, a judge in rural Tazewell County, in southwestern Virginia, ruled that lawmakers failed to follow their own rules for adding the redistricting amendment to a special session last fall. Circuit Judge Jack Hurley Jr. also ruled that lawmakers failed to initially approve the amendment before the public began voting in last year’s general election and that the state had failed to publish the amendment three months before the election, as required by law. As a result, he said, the amendment is invalid and void.

snip

[AverageOldGuy]

33. More details for non-Virginians

Rural Tazewell County is in SW Virginia -- coal country, central Appalachia.

SW VA localities voted 75% - 85% for Trump.

Circuit Judge Jack Hurley Jr. is a local boy, comes from a long line of moonshiners and bootleggers.

Standing in front of the Tazewell County Courthouse where Judge Hurley holds forth is the statue of a Confederate soldier. The Confederate Monument in Tazewell County, Virginia, a white bronze "Common Soldier" statue erected in 1903, stands in front of the county courthouse at 101 Main Street. In November 2020, over 87% of voters rejected a proposal to relocate the statue, deciding to keep it in place.

[Baitball Blogger]

50. Florida is breaking its own state Constitution to redistrict.

Not sure why the Dems are expected to follow State Law when the Red States aren't following suit.

[Celerity]

53. I think that Florida should be blocked from breaking its own rules/laws as well. Same for all states, both Red and Blue.

[Fiendish Thingy]

21. It's part of the state constitution, not just a law

Changing the constitution in VA requires a very specific process, which, right or wrong, the court determined was not followed.

The legislature waited until the TX redistricting case had been adjudicated, which didn’t leave them enough time to follow the process without leaving any room for interpretation.

[MW67]

80. Thank

You answered my question I had posted before I saw your post.

[FBaggins]

31. Passing it requires an intervening election

They’re required to pass it twice - with an election in between the two votes. So they can pass it a second time after November (to take effect in the ‘28 election)

[Initech]

57. Rupert Murdoch and the Heritage Foundation rigged the system.

The republicans think they own everything and are entitled to all the power. They will get theirs eventually.

[Billsdaughter]

16. We are in hell

[orangecrush]

25. Yup

[GiqueCee]

18. Tom "The Hammer" DeLay...

... promised his cronies and cohorts a permanent Republican majority. Looks like he might get his wish, God damn him to hell.

[Queso Delicioso]

19. It better not be. If the governor and the state party take this lying down, we're cooked.

If the people can vote, be told no, and we just wring our hands and say "oh well, we tried" then faith in the party will plummet even lower than it already has.

[orangecrush]

23. Agree

[FSogol]

27. True, but the only recourse is taking it to the SCOTUS.

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but not liking our chances.

[In It to Win It]

28. That is the opposite of recourse

[popsdenver]

43. The chance of the Republican USSC doing any good

for anything that favors the Dems, or citizens of the U.S. are about as good as pissing in the ocean and expecting it to change color.......

[spooky3]

55. I don't think scotus has jurisdiction in cases involving state law

Could be wrong—not an attorney

What they could do is repeat the votes in legislature following the constitutional process to the letter. Then do the referendum again. Elias may have a better way.

Can’t get it done in time for this fall but could for 2028.

For 2026, Dems could pick up 2 seats even without redistricting.

[Queso Delicioso]

62. There's always "ignore the court, do it anyway"

It seems to work out for Republicans.

[orangecrush]

24. This

“…Despite the redistricting measure’s success at the polls, the justices were ultimately not deterred from overriding the voters.”
❗️❗️❗️

— SammyTheCat (@sammythecat.bsky.social) 2026-05-08T15:02:22.317Z

[EdmondDantes_]

56. That's irrelevant to the state constitution

The court didn't say anything about the districts, just the process which is clear.

[orangecrush]

26. Gonna be one long hot sumner

Motherfuckers.

[popsdenver]

44. Oh believe me.......

as the Republican 2025 CABAL accelerates each and every day, things are gonna get a hell of a lot worse.............
You.Ain't.Seen.Nothing.Yet.Folks...........

(CABAL....the contrived schemes of a group of persons, secretly united in a plot)

Hillary Clinton was quoted back in 2016, saying that there was a "giant right wing conspiracy", and even dems laughed at her.....

[Wednesdays]

70. Hillary said that in 90's...

...in response to a question about Bill and Monica.

[popsdenver]

73. Well.......

I seem to recall it from the debates during 2016.....so maybe she was just repeating it......It certainly was alot more applicable in 2016........

[walkingman]

29. I fault my home state...Texas. Our Governor (Abbott) willingly and happily kissed Trump's ass and start the entire mess.

[AverageOldGuy]

30. Regular DU readers will get tired of my saying this but I'll keep on saying it:

THE SOUTH HAS WON THE CIVIL WAR.

[ChicagoTeamster]

34. But if Republicans won would the court have blocked block it?

[Initech]

36. No, because Rupert Murdoch has rigged the system.

Fox News has done more damage to the United States than Osama Bin Laden ever would or could.

[blubunyip]

42. absolutely

Rupert Fuxxed us.

[Initech]

35. Bullshit. Fuck MAGA. Fuck Fox. Fuck them to fucking hell.

The government is ours. It does not belong to Rupert Murdoch no matter how much he believes he is entitled to it.

[OrlandoDem2]

37. Not happy with this but we are beating their ass in November and VA can still gerrymander later!

I hope the Democrats use this to rally voters. Democrats need to have a chip on their shoulder and go fight!

[Figarosmom]

40. Then they should just do it using the same rationale

Repubs are using. Supreme Court ruling blah, blah, blah.

[AdamGG]

48. Virginia and California let THE VOTERS decide on their redistricting

Abbott, Desantis, and the right wing car dealer in Missouri jammed their new maps through gerrymandered Republican state legislatures.

Yet, the voters of Virginia are invalidated in the courts, while the very partisan politicians in Texas are not. It's a rigged game. Madison and Hamilton and the rest would go back to the drawing board if they saw this.

[Diraven]

49. So basically what's going to happen now

Every Republican state will eliminate every Democratic district which is, of course, allowed. But if Democrats try to eliminate even 1 single Republican district, that's never allowed. Looks like Republicans will achieve a veto-proof supermajority in the House in 2026 and until the end of time then, regardless of how the vote goes. Even if any Democrat ever wins the presidential election again they can be immediately impeached and removed. I'm just done.

[EdmondDantes_]

81. Except that's not true

California redistricted just fine. Virginia would have if they followed their constitution. Utah had to redistrict in our favor.

[EnergizedLib]

52. Dead, or shelved?

[Lasher]

58. This was a 4-3 ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court.

All 4 Republicans voted to kill the redistricting plan, and all 3 Democrats dissented.

[Takket]

59. And America along with it

Now that rethugs are freely allowed to gerrymander out any blue dots and the courts rule the exact opposite for democrats, it’s highly unlikely democrats will win the house. Ironically we thought the senate was a long shot but now it is the only thing on the table.

This may be the death blow to America once and for all. Minority rule forever.

[Evolve Dammit]

65. We're in civil war. The south attempts return to Jim Crow. Drumpf threatening nuclear, and SCOTUS is in his pocket.

[B.See]

75. We HAVE been in a civil war, since

the Obama presidency.

Republicans secretly met the night of his inauguration and took an oath to undermine, oppose, and repudiate him at every turn.

[Orrex]

66. When the people are denied all legal and nonviolent means of effecting change...

then they will find other means of effecting change.

[AdamGG]

67. That's basically a paraphrase of

Thomas Jefferson.

[misanthrope]

72. We're closer than we've been in a long time

I fear Balkanization is in the cards.

[Orrex]

78. It's almost as though our president is doing everything in his power

to weaken, isolate, diminish, and destabilize the nation for the benefit of the hostile foreign power to whom he's deeply in debt.

Almost.

[Scalded Nun]

69. This may have beenmentioned up the chain here, but why then can the Democrats not just gerrymander anyway like the GOP

is doing in other states.

What really disgusts and saddens me is that the only 2 state that has their redistricting plan halted by the court is one of the only 2 states that have had the voters go to the polls to approve the action.

And this is what the GOP calls a democracy.

[misanthrope]

71. Because they knew how to play the long game

This hasn't been overnight. They have been probing for a century. They have been planning and organizing for over a half century, starting with the Southern Strategy. The Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, the Kochs and right-win mediasphere, it is all part of a larger, more patient effort.

[OhioBack2Blue]

76. This is when you know for sure the fix is in.

[MW67]

79. So if

Republican Governor's and state legislators can pass redistricting laws without a vote, could someone tell me why the Virginia Governor and legislators couldn't do that now? , They have the will of the people with them, if it's some state law that prevents it being done that way in VA. Change the law, with a clause that it sunsets on the last day of the current Governor's term , just like you know who ,would do

[SSJVegeta]

82. Just watch

[raising2moredems]

83. Why?

Ohio ignored their state supreme court so no reason Virginia can't do so either.

[HeartsCanHope]

84. They are not winning.

They are cheating. It may feel the same, but they are digging themselves a bigger and bigger hole. The anger against

the Trumplicans is palpable. More and more people are speaking out against them. We need to get the vote out--

in such large numbers we overwhelm them. That's how Hungary beat Orban. We can do it, too.

In the words of one of my favorite movies, "Never give up, never surrender!"