Virginia Democrats pass new congressional map through legislature amid court battle

Virginia Democrats on Friday passed a new congressional map through the commonwealth’s legislature to give their party four additional U.S. House seats amid a court battle with Republicans over the so-called redistricting plan.The legislature passed the map, which Democrats are hoping to put before voters in a referendum in April, a day after a judge granted a temporary restraining order requested by the Republican National Committee and state GOP over the redistricting effort, The Associated Press reported.
Democrats are appealing that decision and another ruling by the same judge at the Tazewell County Circuit Court, who ruled last month that Democrats illegally rushed the planned voter referendum on their constitutional amendment to allow the redistricting. The Virginia Supreme Court will hear the party’s appeal of the earlier ruling.
The judge’s order prohibits Virginia officials from preparing for the redistricting referendum through March 18. Early voting for the referendum was scheduled to start March 6, meaning Democrats would have to obtain a favorable court ruling within two weeks to keep that timeline.
If Democrats are ultimately allowed to hold the referendum, then voters will choose whether to temporarily adopt new congressional districts. Virginia would return to its standard process of redistricting after the 2030 census.
President Trump started the mid-decade redistricting battle last year by pushing Republicans in Texas to redraw districts to help the GOP win more seats in the midterm elections. Thus far, Republicans believe they can win nine more U.S. House seats in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio. Democrats are trying to win six more seats in California and Utah, and hoping to fully or partially make up the remaining three-seat margin in Virginia.

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