2026 Congressional Redistricting
Democratic state legislators have proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow the Virginia General Assembly to redraw congressional districts outside of the normal 10-year redistricting process. This is part of a national Democratic response to Republican-led redistricting efforts in other states, kicked off by President Trump's encouragement to draw maps that are more favorable for the GOP before midterm elections this November. With majorities in the House of Delegates and State Senate, Virginia Democrats would be able to redraw the Commonwealth’s 11 U.S. House of Representatives districts to give their party an advantage.
On February 5, party leaders released a proposed map. On February 18, Democratic legislators from the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee proposed changes targeting Hampton Roads. Two days later, the House of Delegates approved the measure that changed the proposed boundaries between Virginia's 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts in the City of Chesapeake. The proposal has been signed by Governor Spanberger.
See how Virginia’s congressional lines would change under the proposal, and how it would impact you.
The proposed redistricting amendment would return power to the General Assembly in limited circumstances, allowing them to redraw U.S. House districts and bypass the Virginia Redistricting Commission if another state has redistricted outside of the normal decennial process. The amendment has a sunset date of October 2030, after which, this power would expire.
A special election for the statewide referendum is scheduled for April 21. Voters will answer Yes or No to the following ballot question:
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia's standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?
The amendment has faced legal challenges, and is currently before the Supreme Court of Virginia. A Tazewell judge ruled in January that legislative procedures used to advance the redistricting referendum did not comply with state law, in a case filed by state legislative Republicans. House Speaker Don Scott appealed the ruling, and the Supreme Court of Virginia scheduled briefings after the April 21 referendum. But on February 19, the same judge issued a ruling halting the referendum in a second case. That case is now also being appealed.
If the new amendment passes, it would bypass the bipartisan redistricting process established in 2020, when Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment that removed the power that legislators previously had to draw their own districts.
The 2020 amendment created the Virginia Redistricting Commission, which was tasked with creating new maps for the House of Delegates, State Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives every decade. The power goes to the Supreme Court of Virginia if the bipartisan commission is unable to reach agreement, which occurred in 2021.
If the 2026 redistricting amendment were to pass, Virginia would return to this bipartisan 10-year process when drawing new U.S. House districts after 2030. The redistricting process for the House of Delegates and Senate of Virginia would not change.
Last updated February 21, 2026.
Feb. 6, 2026
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